Better Late Than Never
by Countrygirl09
Summary: Joey's pregnancy scare from season 4 episode "Late" is confirmed. She doesn't tell Pacey but he finds out in Boston 3 or 4 months later. How will he respond to this huge unexpected surprise? Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Better Late than Never

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters. They belong to Kevin Williamson and all those geniuses in Hollywood – I only borrowed them for our entertainment.

Summary: Joey's pregnancy scare from season 4's episode "Late" was confirmed. She did not tell Pacey about it but decided to handle it on her own.

A/N: Well, here is my next story. I have been writing it for a few months but I need to get it typed up still. Let's hope now that I am on summer vacation I can get it posted quickly. Hope you like it! As usual, the italics mean the past.

Chapter 1

Joey had just gotten back from the weekly Sunday dinner at Grams'. She slumped onto her bed as soon as she entered the dorm. Audrey was nowhere in sight – as usual. She was probably at some party somewhere on campus but Joey didn't care. She liked having the time alone to think. She unconsciously rubbed her protruding belly, thinking about Pacey and senior year in Capeside…

_Joey stood at the bathroom sink watching the clock. She had just taken a pregnancy test and the two minutes felt like an eternity. The seconds seemed to be going slower and slower until it seemed like they had all but stopped. _

_Finally, it was time. Joey closed her eyes and flipped over the test. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the two pink lines. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, thinking, hoping she was not looking at it right. The lines were still there, mocking her. Joey covered her eyes and slid to the floor as the tears started falling. She buried her face in her hands._

_A few minutes later, Joey composed herself and went to find Bessie. She found her sister in Alexander's room. "Uh Bess?"_

_Bessie's back was turned as she dressed her son. "How'd it go, Jo?" she asked. When Joey didn't answer, Bessie turned and saw her little sister standing there with a fresh set of tears trailing down her face. "Oh no." Joey handed her the test, which she looked at before reaching for her sister. "It's okay," she soothed._

_"What am I going to do?" Joey's voice was muffled against Bessie's shoulder but was still understandable. _

_"You have to tell Pacey," Bessie said matter-of-factly. _

_"No, I can't!"_

_"You have to, Joey. It's your responsibility. Pacey deserves to know."_

_"Bessie, you don't understand." Joey pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Pacey's already going through enough – I can't put this on him now. Promise me you won't say anything to anyone about this."_

_Bessie sighed. "Alright. Even though I don't agree, I promise."_

Joey was brought out of her thoughts by Audrey coming in. "Hey Joey! How was dinner?" the blonde asked in her usual cheery voice.

Joey smiled. "You missed a great night – according to Jack and Jen, Grams has become a 'tramp'."

"Really? Sweet old Grams is a tramp now?"

"Yep. Apparently she's been bringing home all sorts of men from bingo." They both laughed.

"So, how's the baby?" Audrey asked in a high pitched child's voice, patting Joey's stomach.

"Fine."

"I still think you owe it to his or her father to tell him. I know you have all these reasons why not to but the guy deserves to have the chance to take responsibility. You shouldn't have to burden this all on your own."

"I'm not 'burdening' it alone. I have my friends to help me. Besides even if I wanted to tell him, I couldn't because I don't know where he is. Last I heard he was sailing the Caribbean."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "I know, I know – I have heard it a hundred times in the last few months."

Joey yawned. "I think I'm going to call it a night."

"Okay, okay – expecting mommies need their rest."

"Goodnight Audrey."

Joey began dreaming as soon as her head hit the pillow:

_The words "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm nothing!" were still echoing in Joey's head as the limo driver dropped her off. She climbed the steps to the porch and entered the house. Bessie was still up getting things ready for the next day. "Joey! I didn't expect you to be back this early. Where's Pacey? Aren't you guys going to the after party?" Then she looked at her sister's face. "Jo?" she asked with a softer tone._

_"Pacey – I – we're – over!" was all she could manage to get out. _

_"Oh Joey," Bessie cried and headed toward Joey to comfort her but she stopped when Joey held her hand up._

_"I'm fine Bessie."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes, I just want to be alone." She went to her room and closed the door. Once inside, Joey took off her dress – the dress Pacey was supposed to take off for her – put on pajamas and slid into her bed alone. Nothing was going right tonight and the worst part was she was still pregnant but now she was really alone. For the first time, having an abortion crossed her mind but as soon as she thought of it, Joey pushed it away. She could never get rid of this baby. Sure, it was unexpected but it was not unwanted. Everyday she wanted it more and more…_

Joey tossed and turned in her sleep, frowning from the bad dream. She visibly relaxed as a new one began…

_It was almost graduation and Joey still had managed to keep her pregnancy a secret. It wasn't hard to do; she just bought bigger shirts to conceal the small bump that was just starting to show. If anyone asked, she just told them it was her new style. Only Dawson was suspicious; Joey often felt his stare from across the room but he never asked so it wasn't a problem. _

_After seeing Pacey leave the graduation rehearsal, Joey gathered the courage and went to see him at his house. She was considering telling him until he told her he did not want to think about the future and didn't even want her around. How could she tell him about a baby when he wanted nothing to do with her?_

_Then graduation was here and Pacey was gone without so much as a goodbye. Joey lost her chance and now she was really alone._

The alarm clock rang loudly, awakening Joey from her endless nightmare.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

A/N: This chapter is just in preparation for the next one so sorry in advance if you find it a little boring but I promise the next chapter will make up for it. Also, for all you Pacey/Joey lovers there is going to be some fluff coming up soon between them! Thanks for the great reviews!

Chapter 2

A few weeks later Jen, Audrey and Joey were having a girls' night out. They had found a nice restaurant a few miles from Grams' house called _Civilization_. It turned out to be a good decision; the atmosphere was great, the waiter was polite and most importantly, the food was delicious.

The three friends were having a wonderful night. After not having much time to talk in the last week, they had a lot to catch up on. Jen told them about her latest encounter with Charlie, being careful not to reveal too many details, Audrey talked about the hot guy on her last campus tour and Joey described her last doctor's appointment.

"So have you made up your mind whether or not you want to know if it's a girl or boy?" Audrey asked.

Joey frowned and shrugged. "No, I don't know what I want. This is one of those times I wish Pacey was here," she sighed.

"Yeah," Jen commented and looked down to her plate. She knew Pacey was in Boston and had been in contact with him for the past few weeks. However, she had been sworn to secrecy that she would not tell Joey or anyone else for that matter that he was in town.

Thankfully Joey did not notice her evasive comment. She was on her way to the bathroom. Just before she left, Audrey offered to help. Joey just rolled her eyes at the comment. "Audrey, I'm pregnant, not an invalid. I can go to the bathroom by myself; but if it will make you happy, I will call if I need help finding the toilet paper." They all laughed and Joey walked away.

On the way to the back, Joey passed the swinging doors for the wait staff to enter the kitchen. She looked into the room and saw a man with slightly curly brown hair. "Pacey?" she exclaimed under her breath. Joey stood there for a minute to double check and at that moment, he looked up, laughing at something someone had said. It was then that she realized it really was him.

Joey forgot all about the bathroom and hurried back to the table. "Wow that was fast," Audrey commented. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she saw Joey struggling with her jacket.

"I have to get out of here now!" she exclaimed.

"Why? What's going on? Is everything okay?" Jen's tone was worried and concerned.

Joey did not answer. She finally pulled her jacket on and was now trying to untangle her bag from the back of the chair.

"Joey! Please sit down for a second and talk to us. You're freaking us out." Audrey grabbed her wrist to get her attention.

"But I have to leave!"

"Well you're not leaving without us so do yourself a favor and sit down, take a deep breath and tell us why you have to leave in such a hurry."

Joey knew she was caught. She sighed dramatically and sat down. "He's here – Pacey's here."

Audrey lit up and looked around. "He is? Where?"

"He's in the back; evidently he works here," Joey said with her head in her hands. "What am I going to do?"

"Sweetie, maybe this is a sign telling you that it's time to tell him, right Jen? Jen?"

Joey and Audrey looked over to the place where their friend was sitting. Jen was looking down at her plate while biting her lip as if she was seen doing something wrong. "Jen?" Joey asked suspiciously, "What is it? What are you not saying?" Her eyebrows raised in realization. "What do you know about Pacey?" she demanded.

Jen knew she was caught and confessed. "I didn't know he worked here," she blurted out.

"But you knew he was in Boston didn't you."

"About three weeks ago Doug called Grams' house. I just happened to pick up the phone and he told me Pacey was here. I went right down to the docks and found him…"

"Wait a minute, you knew Joey's baby daddy was in town and you didn't say anything?" Audrey broke in, "And who's Doug?"

Joey shot her a sideways glare for interrupting but answered her question. "He's Pacey's brother." Audrey nodded. "Now can we please get back to the topic at hand?"

"Joey, you can't blame me for not saying anything. He specifically asked me not to – I didn't even tell Jack. It's the same concept as you not wanting him to know about you being pregnant."

Joey cringed. "Could you please keep your voice down? He'll hear you."

"Please, like he could hear from this distance. Besides, even if he did, it's not like he would know it was us."

"So Joey," Audrey put in patting her on the back, "Opportunity is knocking; when are you going to answer?"

To Be Continued... early next week!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of the characters.

Chapter 3

A week later on Sunday, Jen was preparing for company. She and Grams were cooking chicken and dumplings for the weekly dinner but Jen wasn't sure if the meal would even be touched. Joey hadn't made any move to talk to Pacey so she had taken matters into her own hands.

After the shocking revelation at _Civilization_, Jen went to see Pacey. She told him how everyone knew he was in town because Joey saw him at work and he had no reason to avoid the Sunday dinners. Pacey agreed and Jen told him to come early so he could surprise everyone. She didn't tell him about the baby and she didn't tell anyone besides Grams that he was coming because she was worried Joey wouldn't show, ruining the whole plan.

About twenty minutes before the friends were due to arrive, the doorbell rang. It was Pacey. "Hey!" Jen exclaimed in greeting, hugging him, "You came!"

"Did you expect me to just not show up?" Jen gave him her best disbelieving look. "Gee thanks for the vote of confidence." The friends laughed.

"If you want, you can put those new culinary skills to use and help Grams finish dinner while I set the table." Pacey nodded and Jen pointed him toward the kitchen and then headed toward the dining room.

A few minutes later Jack came in. "Hey Jen! Am I late?"

"Nope; you stopped slacking off just in time."

"Ha ha ha."

Pacey poked his head into the room while drying his hands on a towel. "I thought I heard a familiar voice out here."

"Pacey!" Jack hugged his friend. "It's great to see you! Jen didn't say you were coming."

"Surprise!" Jen exclaimed.

Realization hit Jack and he looked toward his friend, eyebrows raised. Jen returned a look of pure innocence. Pacey didn't notice the exchange.

"So when's Joey coming?"

"Uh, she should be here soon with her roommate Audrey. We can hang out in the living room until they get here."

"Okay." The three friends moved to the living room to relax and catch up. Soon the doorbell rang and Audrey's voice sounded in the hallway. "Sorry we're late, Joey couldn't figure out what to wear."

"That's okay," Jen called back, "we're just talking."

A minute later Audrey appeared. She ran over and hugged Jack and Jen, then noticed Pacey. "Hi, um, I don't think we've met… I'm Audrey Liddell, Joey's roomie."

Pacey stood. "Hi," he said, offering his hand to shake, "I'm —"

"Pacey?"

Everyone turned to see Joey standing there, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Their eyes averted to Pacey. His jaw hung open until he consciously shut it. "Jo?" He took a step toward her but she retreated. He stopped in mid-step.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, covering her stomach, trying to conceal it, an impossible feat.

"Jen invited me. She wanted it to be a surprise but I guess the surprise is for me."

Joey barely heard him. She excused herself and dashed off to the bathroom to hide.

"I'll go talk to her," Jen said.

"I'm going with you, you're going to need at the support you can get," Audrey told her. The girls walked off together and instantly Pacey's cool, calm exterior vanished. He sank onto the couch with an aspirated sigh.

"You okay?" Jack asked in a genuinely concerned tone sitting down next to him.

Pacey slowly raised his head. "Let's put it this way – how would you feel if you suddenly found out your ex-girlfriend was pregnant with what was obviously your child months after it happened?"

"Well, I don't have to worry about that happening but I know what you mean and I wouldn't be feeling terrific if I were you right now."

"God, what was she thinking?" What were any of you thinking? Why didn't you guys tell me about this?"

"Well first of all, we didn't know how to reach you and secondly we were just respecting Joey's wishes."

Pacey frowned. "Why wouldn't she want me to know? I would have been here to support her and help her through these past few months."

"Pacey, can you honestly say that five months ago you would have wanted this? With everything going on with your grades and graduation, would you have been able to be happy about this?"

"I don't know – but I would have been there and accepted responsibility – it was my fault this happened."

"I don't think Joey was interested in whose fault it was. I don't think she's blaming anyone. If anything, she was sparing you from being tied down when you wanted to go. She knew you would have resented her and the baby."

Pacey couldn't respond to that – he didn't know how. "Still, she didn't need to sacrifice her life like that just so I could go have an amazing summer."

"Think about it Pacey, you guys were having problems for at least a month before you broke up. Then with the huge blow-up at Prom she had more of a reason to keep it a secret. Then right before graduation you left and she lost her opportunity. I'm not saying it was your fault that things turned out like they did but just try to put yourself in her place. Think about what she was going through, what she was thinking and feeling."

Pacey was quiet for a very long time. Jack knew he had hit a nerve and Pacey understood at least a little bit what had happened. He knew Pacey would be exactly what Joey needed now whether she liked it or not. Silently, he thanked Jen for what she had done.

TBC

A/N: There should be an update everyday this week until Friday so keep coming back and don't forget to leave some feedback!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

Chapter 4

Joey's sobs could be heard from the other side of the locked door. Jen and Audrey knocked repetitively trying to coax their friend into opening the door.

"Come on Joey," Audrey begged, "Please open the door."

"Yeah, Joey, we just want to talk. You don't have to come out until you want to," Jen added.

She didn't answer. They heard her sniffling and then she blew her nose. The water came on and they guessed she was splashing some cold water onto her face. The door unlocked a minute later and slowly opened, revealing a red, teary-eyed Joey.

"What?"

"Can we come in?"

Joey stood against the door, arms crossed. "I can't stop you." The girls didn't hesitate; they walked in and Joey shut and relocked the door.

"Joey, I'm sorry," Jen started.

"Really? Then why is he here? Why did you invite him?"

"He deserves to know, Joey, no matter how much you obviously don't want to tell him."

"I was going to tell him," Joey replied, trying to convince both them and herself.

"When? You've known about him being in town for a week and you haven't made a move. Were you planning on going to him after the baby was born and saying 'Hi Pacey, how have you been? Oh by the way, congratulations, you're a dad'?"

"No, I was just waiting for the right time."

Jen rolled her eyes. "There is no right time for something like this. It's just a leap of faith – you can only close your eyes, jump and hope that he's there to catch you at the bottom."

Audrey couldn't keep quiet any longer. "And Jen already did the hard part for you – now you just have to talk to the guy."

"I just didn't want to see you struggle alone anymore,"

"I'm not alo–"

Jen interrupted her. "We all know it's not the same – you need Pacey and you know it. Someday you'll thank me for this."

There was another knock on the door – this time it was Pacey. "Joey? Can I come in? I just want to talk, please."

"Will you be okay?" Audrey asked, assuming she would talk to him.

"I'll have to be won't I?" she replied, rubbing her eyes. Jen and Audrey both hugged their friend and let Pacey in as they walked out.

He walked in slowly, leaving the door open. "You can shut that if you want," Joey told him.

Pacey looked up, surprised that she had spoken first but then again, Joey was rarely at a loss for words. "Are you sure?" She nodded.

After shutting the door, he looked at her standing in the middle of the room so vulnerable. He saw her tremble and knew she was scared. Pacey took a few steps toward Joey, not realizing how menacing it looked until she stepped back away from him, silently acknowledging and respecting the boundaries she wanted between them.

"I'm sorry, Pace," Joey said, looking down ashamed with what she had done.

"No, Jo, I'm the one who should be sorry. I talked to Jack before I came up here and I know that if I hadn't pushed you away last year, we wouldn't be standing here like this today. I am truly sorry."

"Well, I could have told you anyway but I took the cowardly way out instead."

"Jo, you are anything but a coward. You are the strongest and bravest person I know. Not many people can do what you've done for the past five months."

Joey didn't reply. She looked at the floor and unconsciously rubbed her back, hoping to relieve some of the ache that seemed permanently in place there. The action was not unnoticed by Pacey who immediately asked if she was okay.

Joey looked back up to his face. "Huh, what?"

"You were rubbing your back."

"Oh yeah – it's just a backache. It's what happens lately because of the unfamiliar strain and extra weight."

Another pang of guilt swept through Pacey. "Do you want me to help you sit down?"

"Uh, sure."

Pacey carefully made his way to her, taking care not to startle her. He took her hand as she kneeled down with her other hand on her stomach. Joey grimaced as she slid her feet out from under her, coming to a sitting position. Pacey sat beside her, releasing her hand and putting it on her back. "Is that better?"

"Yeah, a little bit but it won't last long – I can only be comfortable for a few minutes before I have to move again."

Pacey removed his hand, looking down at his lap. "I'm really, really sorry, Jo. I'm sorry for all of this. You shouldn't have to life your life like this."

"Pace, I already told you – don't be sorry. Sure, I wasn't expecting to get pregnant this early in my life but I've adjusted. I may not be able to clean the litter box but I can go to class and go grocery shopping and you know what? Everyday I like the idea of being a mom even more."

"When did you get a cat? I didn't know that you could even keep a cat in the dorms." Both of them burst out laughing, almost to the point of crying. When they took control of their outbursts, Joey smacked Pacey's shoulder.

"Leave it to you to change the most serious mood into… into…"

"Into what?" Pacey asked, still smiling.

"Into this. Into laughing and smiling like old times."

"I missed you so much this summer, Jo."

"I missed you too." Joey looked at him with eyes full of care and tenderness. The moment was short-lived when Joey tensed, then quickly relaxed, putting a hand on her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Pacey immediately guessed something was not right.

"Nothing." Joey took his hand and placed it on her stomach where she had put her own a few seconds before. She looked up to his face, searching for the same look of excitement she felt the first time the baby moved. She didn't wait long when his face lit up and he smiled as wide as the Cheshire cat. "Pacey, I'd like you to meet our baby."

Pacey couldn't answer; he was so overcome by emotion. He leaned over and carefully hugged the mother of his child. He kissed her cheek and spoke the words that made her melt just as quickly and as completely as they did months ago: "I love you."

TBC

A/N: I'm sure a lot you are groaning at the fluffy way I ended this chapter but I assure you there is plenty of conflict coming up. Please leave me a review and I will post the next chapter tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

A/N: Thanks so much for the terrific reviews! They are so inspiring! I'm so happy that so many people like this story – I think it's my best one so far and my personal favorite. Without further adieu, here's chapter five!

Chapter 5

Downstairs everyone was waiting for Pacey and Joey to come down and eat. Jack, Jen and Grams were sitting calmly but Audrey was the exact opposite of calm. She was pacing back and forth by the doorway with her arms crossed. Each time she could, she would peer up the stairs and strain to hear anything.

Finally after what seemed like the hundredth time, Jen got tired of seeing her friend in constant motion. "Audrey, why don't you just come sit down; pacing isn't going to make them come down any faster."

"But what's taking them so long? What could they possibly need to talk about for this long? I mean, come on, how hard is it to say, 'Hi I'm pregnant and the kid's yours' and, 'Okay, when is your next doctor's appointment because I'll be there.'? It's that simple."

"Okay let me put it to you this way; how complicated is Joey?"

Audrey rolled her eyes, "Very."

"Okay, well add an ex-boyfriend who she still obviously cares a lot about and the fact that she's carrying a child that is his, which he didn't even know about until twenty minutes ago and you have the furthest thing from simple. In fact, it couldn't get any more complicated."

"Yeah, Audrey," Jack piped up, "Just give them a little longer. These things take time and you're not helping."

Audrey glared at Jack but sat down, only to leap up a minute later when she heard the bathroom door open. She was at the bottom of the stairs in record time. "So how'd it go?"

Joey ignored the question and turned to Pacey, "Just ignore her. It's like having a full-time college mother."

"Hey! I'm standing right here!"

"I didn't say it was _always_ a bad thing."

"Oh, okay."

Jen spoke up, a little anxious to see whether or not her plan worked. "So judging by both of your good moods, everything's okay?"

"Well first of all, there are three of us," Pacey started, putting his hand on the baby.

"…and we're all great." Joey finished with a bright smile.

"Good," everyone chorused.

"If you guys don't mind, I'd like to eat now, before the food gets any colder," Jack said after they'd finished with their little celebration. He looked to Grams.

"We will have to heat it up but otherwise, it should be great."

"Ah, we're starving," Joey groaned, eliciting laughs out of everyone before they headed into the kitchen.

  

After supper and after cleaning up, Joey, Audrey and Pacey said goodbye. When he realized they were walking back to the dorms, he insisted on making sure they got there okay.

"Pacey, you don't have to do this you know," Joey stated after she already broke to the idea.

He sighed aspirated, "Can't you just give up a little of that independence and let me help take care of you?"

"Oh! So you mean she's always been stubborn and too independent for her own good?" Audrey jumped in.

"Yep, as long as I've known her. She's always been a tomboy too tough to let anyone help her."

"Um, you guys do know that I'm standing right here and I can hear what you're saying right?"

Audrey ignored her and continued, "So, what else can you tell me about little Joey Potter?"

Pacey chuckled, "Well —" He was cut off.

"Oh no; there will me no sharing of stories about me in high school or before, at least when I'm around."

"Don't worry," Pacey whispered loud enough for Joey to hear, "we'll swap stories later, when she's asleep."

Joey crossed her arms and glared at the two of them. "You do know that making a pregnant woman upset or angry is a death wish, right?"

"She's right," Audrey told Pacey, "You do _not_ want to be around her when something's bothering her."

"Oh, she's always been like that so I'm not too worried."

Joey didn't say a word. She just turned away, tears springing to her eyes. Pacey and Audrey didn't hesitate; they were back at her side in seconds apologizing for being so insensitive.

"It's not fair. You guys just met. You can't gang up on me already."

"We're sorry, Bunny," Audrey soothed, "We were just joking. We didn't mean to upset you."

"Yeah, Jo, I may have accepted this whole thing but I'm far from getting used to it. I'm used to the you who laughed off jokes and is always in a generally good mood; it's going to take a while for me to adjust to the new you."

Joey wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. "You know what guys, I should be the one apologizing. I'm being all emotional and sensitive and Pacey's right, that's not who I am."

"But you're allowed to be, Sweetie,"

"It's not an excuse."

"Well, we need to be more sensitive to your feelings, regardless."

Joey didn't respond; she just wanted to drop the conversation. They walked in a comfortable silence for a while until Pacey spoke again.

"So, what arrangements have you made for after the baby is born?"

"What do you mean?" Joey asked.

"You know – where he or she will live, who will provide care when you have class, clothing, a crib… does any of this sound familiar?"

Joey bit her lip and remained silent.

"This silence means she hasn't decided anything," Audrey offered.

Pacey raised his eyebrows. "What?" Joey exclaimed.

"The kid is due in three months and you haven't decided anything yet?"

"Well, it's more like three and a half months and I've thought about it, I just haven't made any choices yet."

"Oh okay, well, I'm guessing you won't be staying at the dorm, right?" Joey looked at him, shocked that he could think of that as an option. "Okay, what about an apartment?"

"Pace, seeing as my bank account has only like five hundred dollars in it and I haven't even started getting stuff, I think an apartment is out of the question… and before you suggest it, no, I'm not dropping out of school and moving back to Capeside."

Pacey was out of suggestions. He and Joey both frowned, deep in thought as they walked along. They forgot Audrey was even there until she jumped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. "I've got it! The answer to all of your problems… well not all of them, but the biggest one anyway…"

"Audrey out with it!" Joey exclaimed, knowing that if allowed, her friend would ramble on forever and forget what she originally wanted to say.

"Oh yeah; why not talk to Grams and move in there? She has a few extra rooms that you could use or you could redo the attic and make a room for yourself and one for the baby."

Pacey was thrilled with the idea because it would solve the babysitting problem for the most part as well but he remained silent until he heard Joey's reaction. He and Audrey both waited patiently for her to ponder it. A minute or two later, she slowly nodded. "Yeah, that might work." She was still thinking as she walked ahead. "Yeah! It would almost be like an apartment. I can get a job to help with the bills and we could do a little remodeling to make two or three rooms…"

"Joey hang on a second…" Pacey said as he and Audrey caught up with her, but she wasn't listening.

"… I have to talk with the dean to make sure I can live off campus and Grams to make sure I can live there… Wait! I have to go shopping! I need a crib, diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, blankets, pacifiers and —"

She stopped when Pacey put his hand over her mouth. "Hold on, Jo. First you need a good night's sleep. You can worry about this stuff tomorrow." Joey tried talking but her words came out muffled. "I'll move my hand but you have to promise not to talk about moving to Grams' for the last few minutes of our walk. Promise?"

Joey rolled her eyes but nodded. Pacey moved his hand and the three continued walking. Soon they were standing in front of Audrey and Joey's dorm room saying goodnight. Audrey hugged Pacey, "It's so good to finally meet you Pacey; I'll see you soon."

"Same here, Audrey – see you." Audrey went inside leaving Pacey and Joey alone.

"Um, I have another ultrasound appointment on Wednesday at two if you want…" Joey started.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll pick you up?"

"Sounds good." Joey yawned.

"Well, I better let you get some sleep." He hugged and kissed her cheek.

"Talk to you soon Pace."

"Later, Jo." Pacey let her go and watched her walk inside before turning and heading home himself.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

Chapter 6

Joey just got back from class on Wednesday and was trying to read the book she needed finished by Friday but couldn't concentrate. Pacey was coming in about twenty minutes to take her to her doctor's appointment. She was nervous because it was the first time Pacey would see their baby and she had no idea how he would react. After ten minutes of reading the same sentence over and over, there was a knock on the door. "Thank God," Joey muttered under her breath before throwing the book, grabbing her jacket and flinging the door open.

"Hey J —"

Joey cut him off and grabbed his hand. "Come on let's go – what are you waiting for?"

Pacey was a little taken aback by Joey's rushing as she pulled him along for a few feet before he caught up. "What's the rush, Jo?"

Joey took a deep breath and slowed down once she realized how fast she was walking. "Sorry Pace, that room was getting on my nerves."

"Okay…"

Joey sighed. "I don't know, I just don't have the patience I used to have – I get irritated a lot more quickly these days."

"Ah – so I shouldn't…" he slowed down and got behind her, "do… this?" Pacey began tickling her sides mercilessly but gently at the same time.

"PACEY! Stop it!" Joey exclaimed, slapping his hands but laughing at the same time. As the baby started kicking as if sensing the commotion, Joey grabbed Pacey's hand so he could feel it too. They slowed to a stop and Pacey held one hand on Joey's waist and the other over the place where the baby was moving.

Caught up in the feeling of Pacey's arms around her again, Joey relaxed against him. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and Pacey leaned in as well, closing his eyes. Joey followed in suit but just before their lips met, the baby kicked harder, jarring Joey out of her trance. She shrank back, looking up into his eyes "Uh, we should probably get going."

"Probably." Pacey waited for Joey to start walking before shaking his head to clear the feelings that he was having – feelings of how good it felt to hold Joey again and how much he still loved her. "Get a grip, Witter," he muttered to himself before catching up to Joey in time to help her into the car.

  

Joey gave Pacey directions to her doctor's office as he drive. Both avoided the moment back in the parking lot.

"Okay, it's the next right up here – where the sign is."

"Yep," Pacey pulled in and found the closest parking space. He helped Joey out of the passenger seat and locked the doors before heading inside.

"Hi, uh, Joey Potter for a 2:00 appointment with Dr. Bates," she told the receptionist once they got inside.

"How are you doing this month, Sweetie?" the kind woman asked while she gathered Joey's record and collected her co pay.

"Pretty good, considering the watermelon I'm carrying in my stomach," she replied good-naturedly.

"Ah, the wonders of motherhood – I should know, I've had four myself." They shared a short laugh before she told Joey she could take a seat and wait.

A few minutes later, Joey excused herself to use the bathroom, leaving Pacey alone in the waiting room. Before she came back, a woman in her mid-thirties came out of the back. "Joey Potter?" she called, looking around as no one stood up.

"Oh," Pacey stood up gesturing in the direction Joey went, "she went to use the bathroom."

The woman frowned, "I don't remember seeing you here with her before."

"Uh, I'm Pacey Witter, her um, I mean uh…"

"You're the father?" she asked extending her hand, which Pacey shook courteously.

"Yes," he replied a little unnerved by his lack of ability to define his relationship with Joey.

"I'm Dr. Bates." the lady continued, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Joey came out of the bathroom at that minute and smiled, "Well I guess I don't have to do introductions. Hi Dr. Bates."

"Hello Joey, how are you feeling today?"

"Pregnant," she replied, matter-of-factly, making Pacey and the doctor smile.

"Okay, let's head back so we can see how this baby of yours is doing this month." She led them to an examining room. "Okay, I'll send a technician in to set up the ultrasound machine while I grab your file from my office." With that, she left the room, swinging the door closed behind her.

Pacey waited a second before speaking, "So are we going to talk about what happened earlier?"

"Not right no," was Joey's quiet reply.

"Why not?" Pacey asked annoyed that she was dodging their relationship just like she did in junior year. "I don't want to keep avoiding the subject."

"Neither do I, Pace but I don't want to overanalyze everything like I usually do. I just want whatever happens to happen when it's meant to be. Can we agree on that, please?"

He didn't have a chance to reply because the technician knocked on the door before wheeling in the machine. He nodded toward them, acknowledging their presence before setting it up as Dr. Bates returned. "Sorry I took a little longer than I intended – I had to take an unexpected phone call."

"That's fine," Joey told her.

The technician finished with the ultrasound machine. "Thanks Greg," Dr. Bates said as he left the room.

"No problem," he replied, shutting the door behind him.

"Okay Joey," Dr. Bates turned to face her patient, "you know the routine – up on the table."

Joey sighed and nodded. She carefully climbed onto the table with Pacey's help and lay down. The doctor switched on the machine and asked Joey to pull her shirt up to expose her protruding bump. Seeing this for the first time shocked and amazed Pacey but he kept silent. He moved to Joey's side so he could see the screen and held her hand. She looked up to see him smiling and knew he agreed to what she'd said earlier.

Joey returned the smile and then refocused her attention to the monitor as Dr. Bates began looked for the baby. It only took a couple seconds before a small human-like figure appeared.

"Okay, here we go," Dr. Bates said as she began measuring and examining. "Your baby is developing normally and everything seems to be progressing as it should. So Joey, now that you have Pacey's input, have you decided if you want to know the sex?"

"Uh," Joey looked to Pacey.

"Well, I've never been one for a surprise, but that's just me."

Joey smiled and squeezed his hand appreciatively. "Me either." She turned to the doctor. "I, I mean we want to know," she declared.

Dr. Bates smiled. "Okay, let's see here…" She moved the wand around a little bit and zoomed in until she found the right spot. "Look right …here," she pointed.

Joey and Pacey peered into the screen, "A girl?" Joey asked slowly.

"Congratulations!" the doctor declared, confirming Joey's guess. "Would you like to hear your daughter's heart beat?" When they both nodded, Dr. Bates reached over and adjusted a dial. Instantly, the room was filled with a muffled beating.

It was the most amazing sound he had ever heard. Pacey was overcome with emotion for the second time in less than a week as he just sat there holding Joey's hand, listening to his daughter's life. He realized how close he came to never hearing this or feeling the way he was feeling right now. He made a promise right there to himself to never put himself before his daughter or Joey ever again.

All too soon it was time to switch off the machine and say goodbye until next time. Armed with a few pictures, Pacey and Joey left to spread their good news to their friends and family.

TBC

A/N: Well I hope you've all enjoyed my fast updates but I'm sorry to say that there will not be many next week. I have to write more chapters in the midst of a very busy week so I will do my best but don't expect a new chapter everyday. As always, thanks for the amazing reviews – I live for them!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters (except the ones I create).

Chapter 7

_After leaving the doctor's office, Joey was walking on air. She made Pacey drive her to Grams' house to share their news. He obliged and even tolerated her excitement for call after call to Capeside and the LA call to Dawson but when she told him they needed to go shopping, he drew the line._

_"Come on Pacey! We need to start buying stuff for the baby," she told him, trying to pull him out the door at Grams' but Pacey firmly planted himself to the floor._

_"No, Jo. We've had enough excitement for one day – you need to relax and calm down."_

_"But –"_

_"No."_

_"But –"_

_"Josephine Potter – we are not going today and that's final!" he told her in an almost fatherly way._

_"Fine," Joey crossed her arms, sat down on the couch and proceeded to pout. Pacey laughed. "What?" she demanded._

_"You're so cute when you pout."_

_"Ha Ha Ha. Very funny. Well, we can blame you when our daughter has no bed, no clothes and no diapers."_

_"Jo," Pacey sat down beside her and put his arm around her, "we've got a few months and if you're that worried about it, we can go Saturday, okay?"_

_"Promise?"_

_"I promise."_

Now Pacey was regretting that promise. He was standing in the middle of the baby section in the Kmart clothing department watching as Joey loaded the cart with frilly, lacy dresses and pink onesies."

"Jo?"

"Hmm?" she answered, not really even listening because she was trying to compare prices of shirt and pant sets.

"Did you get bit by the girly bug or something?"

Joey rolled her eyes as she decided on the printed pink set and tossed it into the cart. "In case you weren't paying attention the other day Pace, we _are_ having a girl."

"Yeah, but weren't you the one who complained because all of Lily's things were pink?"

"It's different when it's your own daughter, Pace," she replied as she moved on to a new rack of dresses.

"Well if I may make a suggestion…" Pacey started slowly.

Joey sighed and turned to face him. "What?"

"Well, why don't we get half of what you've picked out but keep note of the rest so you can ask for it for the baby party thing you're having in a few months?"

Joey chuckled, "You mean the baby _shower_?"

"Yeah, whatever. I don't know about you but I'm on a fixed income and I can't afford hundreds of clothes for this kid plus everything else we need."

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right." Joey began going through the cart, pulling things back out half-heartedly.

"You know," Pacey started as he took the clothes from Joey and put them back on the racks, "I'm sure we can find clothes just as good as these for a lot less at sales around town or a thrift shop."

"Yeah, probably," she sighed, "but it won't be the same." Pacey kept quiet as Joey removed a few more things from the cart. When she was done, they continued on.

By the time they left, there were bags full of burping cloths, pacifiers, bottles, stuffed animals and the clothes. Neither were sure which diapers or formula to buy and they had no where to store the furniture so they waited on those things. Joey would have Bessie help her choose most of it when she came in a few weeks.

On their way home, Joey and Pacey made polite conversation. Pacey was about to turn to go back to the dorms but changed his mind when he heard Joey's stomach let out a huge growl. Despite Joey's protests, Pacey swung into the _Friendly's_ right down the street and escorted her inside.

"You know, Pace," Joey said as she picked up her menu, "I could have waited until I got back to campus. You didn't need to go to all this trouble."

"It's no trouble and besides, I want to make sure you're eating right."

Joey sighed, an action that was really becoming common around Pacey lately. They were silent until their food arrived.

"So how about Justine?" Joey asked as she bit into her sandwich.

"Huh?"

"Baby names? Come on Pacey; our daughter needs a name."

"Oh okay," he frowned, "What about Katelyn?"

"No way. I know too many Katelyns already. We are not naming her that."

"Jessica?"

"Stephanie?"

"Grace?" They kept throwing names back and forth until they got the bill. So far they hadn't come across anything that stuck.

They left _Friendly's_ and Pacey pointed the car toward the dorms. Joey fell asleep a few minutes into the ride and Pacey who didn't have the heart to wake her up, parked close to the doors and carefully carried her to her room.

Audrey was there when he carried her in. Pacey motioned for her to be quiet and laid Joey on her bed. He waved for Audrey to come help him carry in the bags of baby supplies. It only took one trip to bring everything in. As soon as he set the bags down, Pacey headed for the door but hesitated and turned back to Joey.

"Where's a blanket?" he whispered to Audrey.

"There should be one in her closet," she replied back amazingly just as quiet. Pacey opened the door and found a fleece on the floor. He spread it carefully over Joey's sleeping form just like he did that night she fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire at the _B&B_. Then he kissed her forehead, waved to Audrey and let himself out.

Pacey silently drove back to the boat he was calling home. He hoped to take a nice long nap because he was very tired after they day's activities. Who knew shopping could be so exhausting?

Pacey pulled into the parking lot and walked down the docks until he came to the boat. Without hesitation he climbed aboard and went below. He stepped off the ladder and turned; then startled by the person before him, Pacey stepped back into the steps.

She smiled, "Hey Pacey!" She walked up to him and gave him a peck on the lips. "I've missed you! Where have you been these days?"

Still in shock, Pacey spoke only two words, "Hey… Melanie."

A/N: For all of you readers who love seeing Joey and Pacey go through huge conflicts a big one is about to begin with Melanie. If you don't remember her, she's the girl Pacey was dating when he got back from the sailing trip. A big thanks goes to mistylee for the idea! Reviews please!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters. I'm only borrowing for the sole purpose of our entertainment.

A/N: Sorry everyone - here's a chapter full of drama... very short but very important! Please R&R!

Chapter 8

Melanie pulled away from Pacey, confused by his behavior. "Hey, are you okay? You're acting different."

"Yeah, uh – yeah I'm fine. It's just, my life had turned completely upside down in the past few weeks and my priorities have been thrown around like you wouldn't believe…" Pacey trailed off, not sure what else to say.

"Well, it sounds like you have been under a lot of stress and I think what you really need is to relax." Melanie began kissing his face and neck as her hands roamed freely over the rest of his body. She was startled and surprised when he pushed her away.

"Melanie, it can't be like this between us anymore. Things have changed – I have changed." Pacey was still being very evasive, not wanting to elaborate because her reaction would not be positive. It was too late; she was already starting to get angry.

"What is going on with you? You have never pushed me away. _I've_ always been the one who had to slow _you_ down. What is there some illegitimate child you just became aware of or something?"

"Actually, yes!" Melanie's outburst made Pacey very defensive and added to the fact that he was exhausted, he became irate. "In case it concerns you, I found out my ex-girlfriend, who I still care very much about, is pregnant with _my_ child. And you'll have to excuse me for taking responsibility for it."

"Don't give me that 'I'm responsible' crap. We both know you are just like any other guy in this world. You would rather run away before facing up to your mistakes. Also this girl is obviously an airhead. She didn't tell you about the pregnancy when it happened and now she obviously only wants you for your money. If you honestly think she'll take you back, you're full of yourself because I'm the best you will ever have. This girl is just trash and I bet the baby's not even yours."

If Pacey didn't have such strong morals against violence with girls, he would have hit her right then. Regardless, his hands curled into fists and he began to speak in a voice that gradually became louder. "You know nothing about me or my life. I will pretend that you didn't insult me but I will _not_ overlook the things you said about Joey or our child. She is three times the woman you will ever wish to be and the fact that she's carrying my child makes her even better. Our baby is NOT a mistake; she is loved and wanted more than someone like you could ever even try to understand. I regret meeting you, I regret sleeping with you and I regret knowing you. You are a bitch Melanie Shea Thompson and I hope you go to Hell."

"No Pacey, that's where you'll be going," she spat out, "You're going to wish you didn't say any of that about me. You'll be sorry." With that she ran up the stairs. Pacey waited a second for her to jump off the boat before going up on deck. He watched her run down the dock and disappear from sight, all the while smiling with fire in his eyes, never realizing how devastating the consequences of his actions would be.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own them; I just wish I did.

Chapter 9

Within a week, Melanie made good on her promises. On Monday, when Pacey reported for work, he was fired. Danny was very reluctant to do it but his job was on the line as well. If he refused, he would be fired. Someone else would just be hired in his place and Pacey would lose his job anyway. There was no point in both of them being fired.

The next day, Pacey was awakened by shouting outside the boat. He went up and found the owner of the boat, Melanie's uncle. He told Pacey he had to be off the boat by 5 pm that evening. His voice, which once held compassion for Pacey, was now bitter. There was no doubt in Pacey's mind that Melanie gave him a sob story and since she was his only niece, he took pity on her and got rid of the enemy.

Within the next few hours, Melanie struck a third and final time. She had co-signed so Pacey could get a car when he arrived in Boston but now she withdrew her support. A representative from the dealership tracked him down and said that without a final payment to pay off the car right then, he had no choice but to reclaim it because Pacey had no credit. Pacey knew he didn't have almost ten thousand dollars lying around so he cleaned out the car and handed over the keys. Now, he was jobless, homeless and car-less. He did the only thing he could think of; he called Grams.

"Hello?" The elderly woman answered the phone on the second ring.

"Hey, Mrs. Ryan? It's Pacey."

""Why hello Pacey; you didn't need to call. You can come over any time."

"Um, well that's kind of what this is about. Joey talked to you about her moving in after the baby is born right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I was wondering, can I stay there until then? I could keep an eye on the crew that will be doing most of the remodeling in the attic and I can help with the cooking and the bills…" Pacey would have kept talking if Grams hadn't interrupted him.

"Pacey, you are welcome here anytime – but don't you have a boat?"

"Um, about that…" Pacey briefly told her about what had happened. After offering her sympathy, Grams told him to come right over. He thanked her graciously and hung up, promising to be there as soon as he could.

Pacey turned around and looked toward the boat that had been his home for the past several months before slinging his backpack onto his shoulder, grabbing his other two bags and setting out.

  

A few hours later, Jack was helping Pacey move boxes and some of Grams' old furniture to one side of the attic and Pacey's things to the other. Thankfully there was a full-sized bed up there that was once Jen's grandfather's and then Jack's when he lived with them back in Capeside. Pacey could live out of his bags until he found an inexpensive dresser to use. While they arranged the attic, Pacey told Jack about Melanie.

"Wait, so you mean this rich and incredibly beautiful girl used her connections against you just because you wouldn't sleep with her?"

"Yep. That's about what it boils down to. Just do yourself a favor, Jack, never get involved with rich and powerful – it will only lead to misery."

"Yeah, I hear you, but it won't be all bad, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Joey? She's moving in here in a few months, right?"

"Yeah…"

"So you guys will practically be living together."

"Not quite. No matter how much I want to, it will be her decision for me to live up here with her and the baby."

"So, what are you going to do if she doesn't want you to?"

Pacey shook his head. "I don't know, man, I don't know."

  

That afternoon, Joey took a bus to Grams' house to talk about construction plans. She had talked to the grandmotherly woman about moving in when she came with the news about the baby being a girl. Grams was delighted with the idea of sharing her home with her honorary granddaughter and great granddaughter.

Joey was very surprised when Pacey opened the door after she rang the bell. "Hey Pace, what are you doing here?"

"I live here now, Jo," he replied simply. He had to elaborate when Joey frowned in confusion. He quickly explained what had happened with Melanie and how he had lost not only his home but also his job and car because of her.

Joey immediately apologized when Pacey finished. He replied, "How do you figure this was your fault?"

"Well, you were only defending me after she insulted me and if you weren't in the situation I put you in, you wouldn't have gotten angry and you still would have everything she took away from you."

"Jo, how many times do I have to tell you that the only two things that matter to me are you and our daughter? Everything else is just material possession. I can replace my car or my job but you two are one-of-a-kind and absolutely irreplaceable. Besides, I'm glad I'm done with Melanie. She wasn't worth the trouble."

Joey grinned and blushed slightly in response to Pacey's declaration of devotion. "So, what's your next move?"

"Well, I'm staying here until the attic is done. I'll try to get a new job; hopefully in a restaurant but right now I'm going to focus on the renovation – I'll keep an eye on things here so everything stays on track and so you don't have to worry about it."

"But what are you going to do after the baby is born?"

"Uh, hopefully I'll have an apartment but if not, I'll crash on the couch here…" He trailed off hoping Joey would jump in and allow him to live with her but was disappointed when she just nodded in acknowledgment.

They stood there awkwardly until Grams came into the foyer. "Why Joey, I wasn't expecting you until a little later."

"Oh yeah, I didn't feel like walking so I took the bus and got here a few minutes ago. Pacey was just telling me how he's going to be living here for the next few months."

Grams motioned for them to head into the dining room to go over plans. "Yes, I couldn't turn him away especially after he offered to oversee the renovation and do some cooking for me." Pacey and Joey both smiled but didn't comment. Grams changed the subject as they took seats at the table where she had laid some papers. "Okay, these are the floor plans for the house and…" Grams trailed off as she flipped through the pages, "here is the attic."

Joey leaned over the table, "I was thinking… To save time and money all we need to do is build one wall to split the room into two; one for me and one for the nursery." She looked up, "The bathroom is close enough to the stairs so I can just run down whenever I need it."

"You should probably have a few windows, even if they are skylights and there should be some more outlets. When Jack and I were moving things around up there I only saw one or two," Pacey added. Grams and Joey nodded in agreement.

They continued discussing plans until they reached a permanent conclusion. There would be three rooms – the other for a storage space for Grams to make up for what she was losing. A few skylights would be installed as well as a few electrical outlets for whatever Joey would need. Pacey would ask around and find a few people to help with the work but he was going to try his hand at most of it himself to save money.

By the time they finished it was almost 6:00. Joey stayed for a quick dinner but then quickly left. She had an early morning class the next day and she needed to get some sleep for it.

TBC

A/N: I personally don't like this chapter because there isn't much action going on but it does describe some of the things important for the next chapters. The next one be better and it will have some fluff for those of you who strive for that stuff. I'll try to update a few more times this week but I can't make any promises.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

Chapter 10

Two months later, the construction was nearly finished. Pacey had been looking all over Boston for another kitchen job but thanks to the influence of Melanie's family over the town, chances were he'd never again work in the culinary business anywhere in Boston. Because of this, he kept coming back to construction. He had become close friends with Mark and Chet, the two men hired to help with the renovation. They were constantly nagging on him to apply for a job in their company, telling him the pay was great and best of all, he would get a body that women would swoon over. Still, he was hesitant; construction was a dangerous business that could kill or disable him for life, but then again, when was he one to pass up a challenge?

Joey was a month away from her due date and still living on the Worthington Campus. She decided she wouldn't move to Grams' for another week or two. This would give Pacey a chance to find an apartment, something he was obviously dragging his feet for and even Joey knew it but she still was too oblivious to realize why.

Audrey was assigned a new roommate named Christy Martin, a girl who was almost as outspoken and crazy as Audrey. The two had hit it off right away and Christy was warmly welcomed into the group instantly.

All of the supplies were finally purchased with Bessie's help and thankfully, she hadn't quite gotten rid of Alexander's baby furniture so she gave it to Joey free of charge.

It seemed like everything would be easy and perfect for the baby. The only decisions left were what colors to paint the new rooms, how to arrange the nursery and most importantly, what to name the little girl. However, under the surface, things were not so perfect.

Joey hadn't gotten a good night's sleep for the past three weeks. Every night she feared sleeping and would put it off for as long possible. The reason? Every night the same dream played out in her head: something would go wrong with the delivery and she lost her daughter. Audrey was the only one who knew about this because she was there every time Joey sat up in bed screaming, "No!" Audrey hadn't said anything to the rest of the group because Joey made her swear her to keep it a secret.

  

Today, Joey was spending the whole day at Grams' with Pacey. They were intent on finishing the attic and the rest of the preparations. Of course, the two soon-to-be parents were bickering. Pacey was being overprotective and Joey was being stubborn; it would suffice to say that they were just being themselves. He refused to let Joey upstairs until he was done painting because of the fumes but Joey insisted on going up because she had to arrange the baby clothes in the dresser and prepare the changing table – the two things Pacey approved of her doing.

Finally, after an hour of sitting idle in front of the television, Joey made her way upstairs. "Pacey, I don't care what you say; I'm coming up and working in the nursery. Dr. Bates said that I could potentially have this baby any day now because of my being so young and we need to be ready." She finished her huge speech as she neared the top of the stairs where Pacey was blocking the doorway.

He knew better than to argue with her now since she had already climbed up the two flights of stairs. Since he was almost done anyway he just turned on a few fans and opened the skylights a little further for better ventilation. "Okay, just let me know if it gets to be too much for you."

Joey rolled her eyes and pushed past him, "I'll sure I'll be fine." They both got to work silently – Pacey in the main room and Joey in the nursery. The finished at about the same time – a few hours after noon. They sank into a few chairs in the main room for a rest and to enjoy the new accommodations.

"You know, Pace," Joey said looking around the room admiringly, "I'm really impressed with way everything turned out up here. It looks _amazing_."

"Well, I am to please, Darling," he drawled comically and then added, "I just want to make sure you and the baby have a safe, warm and happy place to live." He lovingly rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, which she had laced with his.

As always, the moment was short-lived as Jack thundered up the stairs calling, "Hey Pacey! You up here?"

Pacey released Joey's hand as Jack appeared at the top of the stairs, "Yeah, Jack."

"Oh hey Joey," Jack greeted, not completely expecting to see her there, "how are you doing?"

"Fine. I've been working in the nursery."

"Oh cool; so the only thing left to is move the furniture in here?"

"Yep, we were just waiting for you."

"Okay," Jack said, rubbing his hands together as if psyching himself up for the task at hand, "Let's get to work."

Pacey nodded and stood. Joey broke in just before they headed downstairs to get the furniture. "Hey, I'll make some ham and cheese sandwiches while you guys get to work."

"Okay."

"Sounds good."

  

By 6:00 Pacey and Jack were more than ready to stop for a dinner break. They had successfully brought everything upstairs but that's where their success ended. Joey couldn't decide on one way to arrange the various pieces of furniture. Every time she thought she had something perfect something else would be in the wrong place. Pacey and Jack were exhausted, frustrated and starving. They practically ran down the stairs when Grams called.

Just as they were sitting down, Jen came through the door. "Sorry I'm a little late; I had to stay at the station because the girl on the next shift was late."

"No Jennifer, you're right on time," Grams said as she place the chicken casserole on the table and sat down.

"Hey, Jen," Jack piped up as they began to dish up the food, "Would you mind helping us upstairs after we finish eating? Joey, here has had Pacey and I put the furniture in every possible arrangement and still isn't satisfied." Joey glared at him.

"Sure, I'd be glad to. So besides that, what's left to do?"

"I think I just need to bring my things over from the dorm and we'll be one hundred percent ready for this baby. I'm telling you, the sooner this kid decides to grace us with her presences, the better. I hate feeling like a cow."

"You wear it well, dear," Grams told her, "Now let's just hope I don't have to deliver her like I did your nephew."

"Tell me about it. If I have my way about it, I will be in the hospital and on so many painkillers that I'll be numb for a week afterward."

The group continued to talk all through dinner and cleaning up. Then with Jen's help, Joey was able to direct the guys into arranging the room to her liking. After that, Joey still had an hour until she had to leave so the friends gathered in the living room with some hot chocolate to relax and talk.

"So guys, would you mind helping us with the last decision before the birth?" Joey asked sipping from her mug.

"Mmm what's that?" Jen asked as she curled up on the couch next to Jack with her own mug.

"We need a name," Pacey stated.

"Still?" Jack asked in disbelief. Jen elbowed him for the comment. "What?" he protested. Everyone was quiet for a moment and then they all started talking at once and the names couldn't be distinguished.

"Hold it! Hold it!" Pacey hollered above the sea of voices. "One at a time."

Then everyone was quiet, each waiting for someone else to begin. They all laughed and then Joey asked Jen to go first. "Okay, well, I've always liked Amy or Lucy for a little girl."

"Well, when I was little, I had a friend named Sarah who was always really special to me, so that could be my choice," Jack put in. Everyone smiled.

"What about you, Mrs. Ryan?" Joey asked. "What's your favorite name for a little girl?"

"I'll always like the older names. I think Elizabeth and Madison are my two favorites."

"Yeah, then you could call her Lizzy or Maddie, which is really sweet for a baby but she'll also have a grown-up name for when she's older," Jen added. Joey nodded thoughtfully.

"Has Audrey given you any suggestions?" Jack asked.

Joey chuckled. "She gives me a list almost every day. Her latest favorites were Theresa and Carlee oh and don't forget Zoey." They all laughed; the names definitely said "Audrey."

"That girl can come up with the most outlandish and crazy things," Jen observed. "How are you ever going to live without seeing her face every morning?"

Joey bit her lip and shook her head, "I don't know." Then she brightened, "But enough about me; Jack, how are things going with your fraternity friends?"

"Okay… I mean the guys are fun to be around and the parties are great and all, but I'm not sure if the whole frat thing is for me. I feel like I should be focusing more on my studies than all of this socializing."

Everyone nodded thoughtfully and Jen rested her hand on his arm. "Just make sure you are absolutely positive you want to join them before you commit to anything. I don't want to lose you to the dark side." The rest grinned by wholeheartedly agreed.

After a pause, Pacey asked Jen about Charlie. She immediately replied, "Let's not go there."

"Why? What happened?" Jack asked.

"Well let's just say mistakes were made, mostly with me trusting him."

"Uh-oh," Joey replied.

"Yeah, it turns out dear sweet Charlie has a problem with commitment."

Reading between the lines, Jack spoke. "I'll kill him," he declared.

"No, no, no. It's okay; I already got my revenge. I used his favorite shirt to clean the toilet."

The group groaned and laughed at that with the exception of Grams who just shook her head in disbelief. "You young people have such strange ways of dealing with conflict," she declared sending everyone into another bout of laughter.

The chit chat continued until after Grams said goodnight at 8. It was shocking that they never ran out of things to say even though they saw each other almost everyday. At the same time, they were very glad and appreciative that their friendship hadn't wavered in the transition from high school to college. They still had each other.

Finally, at 9:30 Pacey noticed Joey had fallen asleep practically on his shoulder. He whispered to Jack and Jen that he was going to put her to bed upstairs and that they should call Audrey to let her know Joey was spending the night. They nodded and watched as Pacey carefully picked up the sleeping woman and made his way out of the room.

When he was out of earshot, Jen whispered, "So how long do you think it will be until they're back together?"

"Five bucks says before the baby's born."

"I'd take that bet but I don't want to lose." They both smiled before heading for their own rooms to sleep.

  

When Pacey reached the top of the stairs, he silently thanked Jen for helping Joey make the bed earlier. He set Joey on one side and carefully pulled off her shoes and socks and tossed them on the floor before pulling back the covers and tucking her in. Even though he was trying to be very careful, Joey half-woke up with the motion. "Pacey?" she murmured, "What are you doing?"

"Shh, Jo… let's get you out of those clothes," he whispered pulling the covers back again. If she had stayed asleep, Pacey would have left her in her jeans and t-shirt but now that she was alert enough, he helped her into one of his oversized t-shirts and a pair of boxers. As he re-tucked the covers around her, she sleepily grabbed his hand.

"Pace?"

"Yeah Jo?"

"Stay with me? Please?"

"Are you sure?"

Joey yawned and rolled to her side. "Mmm-hmm."

Pacey quickly changed and carefully climbed in beside her, glad the bed was full-sized instead of a twin. Joey cuddled into his chest, just like she used to when they were dating. He automatically snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. Despite the prominent bump, Joey's body still molded perfectly with his and within minutes they were both fast asleep in each other's arms.

  

Around 2:30 Pacey woke to Joey tossing and turning. He didn't even have time fully become alert before she started moaning and saying "No!", "Please!", "Don't!", and "Oh God!" over and over. When she started crying Pacey was already shaking her, trying to wake her up.

After a minute, Joey's eyes flew open and she buried herself into Pacey's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Pacey remained silent, stroking her hair to calm her. He wasn't sure how to feel or what to say so he waited until her crying reduced to sniffling. He cautiously asked, "Are you okay, Jo?"

"It was horrible," she replied leaning out of his arms and rubbing her eyes with her palms, "the worst yet."

Pacey wasn't quite sure he had heard her right, "What?"

Joey sighed, "I've been having dreams, nightmares for the past few weeks where the baby dies, only tonight, I was dying too."

Pacey said the first thing that came to mind. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you, or anyone for that matter. Only Audrey knew and I made her promise not to say anything. It wasn't that bad."

It was Pacey's turn to sigh. "Jo, you have to learn to ask for help once in a while. We're in this together and we have to depend on each other, like it or not."

"I know," Joey replied taking a deep calming breath.

"Besides, you have nothing to worry about. You heard Dr. Bates at the last appointment; the baby is in perfect health and so are you. Nothing is going to go wrong."

"I know, it's just probably anxiety but that doesn't make it any less scary or real."

"Shh, everything will be fine – you'll see. In about a month you will have a perfectly healthy baby girl who will wake you up every three hours demanding to be fed just like any other baby."

"I hope so," Joey sighed. She laid back down facing away from Pacey, still drying off the remains of her tears. She felt Pacey lay down beside her and then his arms around her, pulling her into him, trying to make her feel safe. "Hey Pace," she called out.

"Yeah, Jo?"

"You're lucky."

"How do you figure?"

She turned in his arms. "You don't have to have this baby and you won't have to wake up every three hours to feed or change her."

"I can if you want me to, Jo."

"What?"

"All you have to do is say the word and I will live up here with you. Why do you think I've been taking so long to find an apartment?"

"I don't know. I just figured you couldn't find a nice one in your price range," Joey replied lamely.

"No, I was waiting for you to ask me to live here."

Joey was quiet for a minute, "Pacey? Would you like to live up here with me? Me and our daughter?"

"Joey, I love you and I'd love to share a home with you and help you raise our daughter." He leaned in and gently kissed her lips. No one interrupted them and nothing stopped them. The world kept on spinning without stopping.

When they finally voluntarily pulled away Joey settled back into Pacey's arms and sighed contently. "I love you too, Pacey." He answered by kissing her shoulder and she relaxed against him and drifted off to sleep once again.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Eleven chapters in and I still don't own them. I'm starting to think I need a new hobby.

Chapter 11

On Wednesday morning Joey was sitting in what was usually her favorite class. Today, however, it was just annoying her. She was very tired even though she had slept soundly and dreamlessly the night before for the first time in months.

As Professor Wilder droned on and on, Joey's head pounded and throbbed. She put it in her hands and tried unsuccessfully to focus on the day's lecture. It was something about Shakespeare, at least that's what she thought. "Yeah," she said to herself, "I read _Macbeth_ the other day for him." But she couldn't remember a word of it.

Professor Wilder was saying something about literary devices and how important they were for understanding the play but Joey could only think of her empty stomach. "Didn't I eat this morning?" she questioned herself and then remembered, "Yeah, I had that pop tart." She looked up at the clock – 9:30; forty-five minutes left.

It took her a minute to realize her professor was talking to her. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Well, Miss Potter, would it be too much to ask for you to tune in every few minutes and answer a question when I ask it?" he replied somewhat annoyed.

"Oh, right." Joey smiled and looked around, "I'm sorry, what was the question again?"

Professor Wilder rolled his eyes. "I asked you which literary device Shakespeare used in Act one scene two in the dialogue between Duncan and the Captain. Joey? Are you even listening?" He had turned around as he re-asked the question and didn't see her grimace until he turned back around. "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone turned softer and had a concerned edge to it.

Joey slowly shook her head as another wave of pain attacked her abdomen. "I-I don't think so," she winced, "Can-can I go to the nurse?" she asked as if she was back in elementary school with a stomachache.

"Of course; Rachel will you help her to the medical center and make sure she gets there okay?" the teacher asked Joey's seatmate.

"Sure Professor Wilder." The fair-haired girl stood and grabbed Joey's bag before offering her hand and helping Joey stand.

As they neared the door, Joey's knees buckled and gave out from beneath her. As she sank to the floor, she heard Rachel shriek. The last words she heard were, "Oh my God! She's bleeding!" before everything went black.

TBC

A/N: I know this chapter was a little scattered but it was on purpose. I was trying to show how out of it Joey was while sitting in class. I hope you liked this chapter even though it ended with a huge cliffhanger. This is the biggest and most important conflict of the whole story and I will probably update again on Monday. Reviews please!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

Chapter 12

Pacey was having a great day. He finally decided to apply for a job in construction and Chet and Mark were there helping him celebrate his hiring. They had the whole house to themselves and they were spending it like any guy would – watching a basketball game on the tube, eating chips, insulting each other and making a mess. They joked that it was Pacey's bachelor party because in a few weeks he would be as good as married.

"Yeah, now all we're missing is the beer and the strippers!" Mark laughed. It was hard to believe that he was in his thirties and married with two kids. He acted more like a teenager than Pacey ever had.

"Well, Mrs. Ryan would kill me if she found any alcohol in the house, seeing as she's such a devoted Christian and all and Joey would do the same or worse for the 'entertainment'."

"Man, you're already domesticated!" Chet howled. At twenty-two, he was determined to remain uncommitted for as long as possible. It was obvious that these were definitely Pacey's kind of friends.

"Yeah, whatever, man," Pacey returned grabbing for the bag of Doritos. He was just getting ready to focus on the game again when the phone rang. At the same second, the team they were rooting for sunk the ball and the guys yelled. Pacey yelled right back for them to be quiet and turned down the game as he answered the phone, the good mood evident in his voice. "Hello? Oh, hey Audrey. What's up?" As he listened, the smile disappeared from his face. "What? Oh God. Which one? Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Pacey hung up the phone and remained silent as if frozen in place.

"What's going on?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, is everything okay?" Chet added.

In an eerily calm voice Pacey replied. "Joey was just taken to the hospital; she passed out in the middle of class."

"Come on," Chet said standing, "Let's go. I'll drive."

"I have to leave a note in case we can't get contact Jack, Mrs. Ryan or Jen." Pacey went to the kitchen and began rummaging for a piece of paper. He checked drawer after drawer and when he couldn't find anything he slammed the last drawer shut and pounded his fist on the counter.

Chet found a pad of paper by the phone and quickly scribbled a message. He tossed the pad onto the table and with Mark's help, led Pacey to his truck.

The drive to Memorial Hospital was extremely quiet. Pacey didn't say a word; he just stared straight ahead with a stony look on his face. Chet and Mark were worried; they'd never seen their friend like this before.

When they pulled into the parking lot, Chet let Pacey and Mark out at the main entrance. Before he pulled away, Chet asked where she was.

Pacey stuttered an answer, "A-Audrey said the f-fifth floor."

When Pacey and Mark finally found the waiting room, Audrey and Jack were the only ones there. As soon as she saw him, Audrey was up and in Pacey's arms. He hugged her back. "How is she? What happened?"

Audrey pulled away. "About a half-hour ago I was in my room getting ready to go to class when some girl knocked on the door. She said she was in Joey's class. She told me Joey was really out of it for the beginning of class and then when Professor Wilder asked her a question it looked like she was in pain. When she got up to leave, she just collapsed."

Pacey breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, so she was probably too tired or didn't eat. She should be fine in a few hours right?"

Audrey bit her lip and looked down before facing him again. "Pacey, they said she was bleeding – a lot."

At this point, Chet caught up with them just in time to see Pacey sink dejectedly into a chair. Mark quickly filled him in before going to make a call to his wife so she wouldn't worry. Chet sat next to his friend and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Where is everyone?" Pacey asked sedately.

Jack picked up the story. "Jen's in class until 11:00, Grams is out somewhere – you left a note right?"

"I did," Chet cut in.

"Okay good. Bessie's on her way but she probably won't be here for another hour. We called Dawson too and he said he would be on the next flight to Boston. Is there anyone else you'd like us to call?"

Pacey stood up and walked over to the window and looked out over the hospital parking lot. "No."

Grams came rushing in then, "I came as soon as I saw the note. How is she?"

Jack shook his head. "We haven't heard anything yet – they're still in with her."

"For God's sake, what happened? Where is Jennifer? Has anyone called her sister?"

Not wanting to hear the same thing relayed again, Pacey left the room. He headed straight for the bathroom and splashed cold water onto his face. As he looked up into the mirror, Pacey recalled the last conversation he'd had with her. That brought a slight smile to his face.

It was the night before and over the phone they had decided what to call their daughter:

_"So Pacey, I was on a name site and I think I finally found the perfect name."_

_"Oh boy, the moment of truth: at last a name that has five stars _and_ two thumbs up from Miss Josephine Potter. Ladies and gentlemen, can I have a round of applause!?" Pacey replied in his best announcer voice._

_"Pacey," he swore he heard her roll her eyes, "can you at least try to be serious?"_

_"I'm sorry Darlin'. What's the name?"_

_"Well, it was so weird. I've signed onto that site every day for weeks but today there it was right on the homepage… Hailey."_

_Pacey let the name wash over him. "Hailey…" he slowly let it roll over his tongue, trying it out. "I like it."_

_"Yeah but we still need a middle name and I can't think of anything to go with it."_

_"Hmm…" Pacey was thinking, trying to recall some of the suggestions from their friends and fit them to the name. "How about Elizabeth?"_

_"Hailey Elizabeth… I love it! It's perfect! Did you hear that, Sweetie? Mommy and Daddy picked a name! Hailey Elizabeth… Hailey Elizabeth Witter! Pace, I think she loves it, she's kicking like crazy…"_

Pacey shook his head. That seemed like a lifetime ago – so much had changed. He sighed, dried his hands and headed back out to the waiting room.

As he neared the room, he heard a voice; speeding up, he reached the doorway and found Dr. Bates in her scrubs surrounded by his friends. Pacey practically ran over, "How is she?"

The dark haired woman turned at the sound of his voice and smiled. "Pacey, I was just telling your friends. Do you want to sit down?"

Pacey's heart sank. They only made you sit when there was bad news. "No, I want to know what's going on."

Dr. Bates sighed. "Joey has been hemorrhaging badly ever since she arrived. I think damage to the placenta is the source and if it is, both she and the baby are in danger. Without the placenta, there is no oxygen for the baby and if the bleeding isn't stopped, Joey could die."

Pacey sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "So what do we do? How do we fix this?"

"Well we've been trying to stop the bleeding but so far we've only been able to control it. If we remove the baby, we can treat Joey without fear of harming your daughter."

"So what are you saying?"

"An emergency c-section is the best option. And before you ask, I believe there is a good chance of the baby surviving if we take her now. One month premature infants have a terrific survival rate. If we don't do this, you may lose both of them."

"Okay, do it," Pacey said with new determination.

Dr. Bates nodded. "Okay, I just need you to sign a form saying you understand the risks of the anesthesia and the chance that complications may arise."

Wordlessly, Pacey signed the sheet and watched as the doctor disappeared down the hall.

TBC

A/N: Don't expect many updates this week. This may be the only one I can give you. I need to write more chapters and I have a lot of stuff to do this week so we'll just see what happens. Hope you liked this chapter and the name I've chosen. Reviews please!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

Chapter 13

A half hour after Pacey signed the papers, the elevator opened and both Bessie and Jen stepped out. As soon as they saw the group of people they knew it was for Joey. Bessie saw Pacey and immediately headed over for a hug. "How is she doing?" she asked into his shoulder.

Pacey pulled away, "I don't know. They're doing a c-section."

"What went wrong?"

"Uh, she was bleeding," he answered dumbly.

Grams placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll explain," she told him. Pacey nodded appreciatively and Grams quickly relayed what the doctor had told them.

"So now we're just playing the waiting game?" Jen asked.

"Yes, Child," Grams told her. "The only thing we can do is sit and pray that Joey and the baby will be fine."

Jen didn't even have the energy to fight the notion of praying. She just sat next to Jack and said, "God just let them be okay. We love them both so much and I just don't think we could go on without them."

They all silently said Amen to Jen's makeshift prayer and sat to continue the long tortured wait.

  

Ten minutes later Jack and Jen went to round up food for everyone from the vending machine. They came back wordlessly to their friends who hadn't uttered one word or moved once since they left and passed around the granola bars, chips and cookies. As Pacey opened the bag of chips he spoke, "Hailey." Everyone looked confused, silently asking for an explanation. "Last night Joey and I chose the name – Hailey Elizabeth Witter."

They all smiled. Grams placed her hand on Pacey's arm, "It's a beautiful name." Everyone wholeheartedly agreed. At that minute Chet looked up and saw a nurse headed toward them. He nudged Pacey and they all stood to greet her.

"What's going on?" Bessie asked as the nurse came to stand before them.

The young woman smiled. "Dr. Bates sent me out to let you all know how everything's going. The good news is that Miss. Potter's bleeding has almost completely stopped now that we have removed the baby and the placenta. With a few blood transfusions, she should be fine in a week or two."

"What about my daughter?" Pacey asked relieved that Joey was fine but still worried about his little girl.

The nurse's smile disappeared. "When your baby was born she wasn't breathing and there was no pulse. It took a few minutes but we were able to get her to start breathing. Unfortunately, she's still having some trouble. She's on a ventilator and in critical condition. I'm sorry."

Pacey couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out of there. Before anyone could speak, he was at the elevator. "Pacey!" Mark called. Both he and Chet were ready to go after him but Jen stopped them.

"He just needs some time. It's been a tough four months. He just needs to think; he'll be okay."

The guys merely nodded and watched helplessly as their friend disappeared behind the sliding doors.

  

Pacey didn't even remember how he reached the hospital garden but there he was sitting on a bench tossing rocks into the man-made pond – which looked more like a glorified puddle – with a vengeance. He didn't even notice the old man sitting next to him until he spoke.

"You know, son, if you keep it up, that water is going to be under our feet."

"What's it to you?" came his snappy reply. Then he looked up at the man and instantly regretted it.

The man looked so pitiful hooked up to a portable oxygen machine and IV. His pasty white skin only accentuated his sunken eyes. His white hair was poorly-kept and wild but thinning. Every inch of his skin was wrinkle and his shaking hands could barely hold onto the oxygen tank. Pacey was amazed that he could get around without a wheelchair.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just…"

The old man coughed and smiled, "Your wife is in there, isn't she?"

"Actually, it's my girlfriend and daughter. She just had a c-section to stop her bleeding but now my daughter… she might… die." Pacey could barely say the words.

The old man patted his shoulder. "Son, you don't know how lucky you are. You should be thankful you have a girlfriend and child. I would give anything to go back in time and have that."

Pacey frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when I was your age, I met this woman who made me feel alive. Barbara Sharpe was her name and she was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on."

"What happened?"

"I threw it all away. You see, I was a stubborn young man and I couldn't see beyond my foolish pride and I lost her. Another man came and swept her away before I could say a word."

"Why didn't you find someone else?"

"Well, after Barbara left, I got bitter and I couldn't bring myself to love again. Now I'm alone and dying and I deserve it."

"No one deserves to die alone."

The man shrugged. "Well, that doesn't change the fact that I am now does it?" Then he asked, "What's your reason for being here alone?" When Pacey couldn't offer a good reason, the old man continued, "Go to her, Son. Tell her you love her and your little girl. Don't give up on them."

Pacey pondered it for a second before rising to his feet. He extended his hand which the old man shook. "Thank-you, Sir," he said before turning and hastily walking back to the hospital to check on the loves of his life.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to update the story but if I haven't said it before, I'll say it now – I am not going to post more chapters if I don't think people are reading. So if you want to find out what happens next, leave me a review!!

Chapter 14

Pacey's speed coming down from the waiting room was nothing compared to how fast he returned. When the elevator took too long to open, Pacey took the stairs. He had never known it was possible to skip three and four steps until that day. When he finally reached the fifth floor, he was breathing so heavily that one would have thought he had just run the last leg of a relay race, not climbed just five flights of stairs.

Gasping for air, Pacey headed back over to his friends. "Sorry I left like I did; is there any new news?"

The looks of excitement and happiness were bursting off everyone's faces. Finally, Audrey could no longer hold it in. She squealed and jumped up, not resisting another hug. "Joey's awake! And she's asking for you!"

Pacey's entire face lit up like a child's would on Christmas morning. "Where's her room?"

"Bessie's sitting with her now but Dr. Bates said to send you in as soon as you got back." She pointed down the hallway. "Room 222."

Without another word, Pacey was off, down that hallway walking as fast as he could. Audrey beamed, looking after him. She turned around when he disappeared around the corner and saw Chet staring at her with a smile on his face. Audrey brightly returned the gesture and took her seat to patiently wait until she could see her "Bunny."

  

Bessie was sitting with her sister as they both waited for Pacey. When Bessie first came in, her sister immediately asked for her boyfriend and baby but because she was still groggy, Joey didn't fight when Bessie evasively answered her. In fact, right now Joey was dozing as Bessie looked on with a motherly pride as she held her little sister's hand.

She looked up and saw Pacey talking to Dr. Bates right outside the room. Even though his back was to her, Bessie could tell his mood was considerably better. Then he hugged the doctor, confirming his new-found happiness. When he let go, Pacey turned to the window and peeked in. Bessie motioned for him to come in and he obliged.

Joey's eyes fluttered open when she felt her sister release her hand. She smiled drowsily when she saw Pacey standing at the door.

Bessie stood, "I'll leave you two alone." She kissed Joey's forehead and hugged Pacey before quietly making her exit.

"Hey," Pacey greeted quietly, still standing by the door, not quite sure what to do.

"Hey," Joey returned, "Come here."

Pacey came to sit beside her on the chair Bessie left open. He took her hand between his own. "You scared me today."

Joey yawned and rubbed her eyes. She stretched, wincing a little as she pulled at her stitches. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Pacey said, kissing her hand, "I'm just glad you're okay."

Joey frowned. "Where's the baby? Is she okay?"

Pacey smiled. "She's in the NICU. Dr. Bates just told me she's still critical but stable."

"Still? What happened?"

"Shh," he whispered, brushing the stray hairs from her forehead. "Don't worry, she's fine."

"When can I see her?"

"As soon as you're strong enough."

Have you seen her?"

"Not yet but I'm going as soon as I finish here."

Joey yawed. "Okay."

"I'll let you rest. Would you mind a few more visitors?" Joey shook her head. "Okay, I'll send Mrs. Ryan, Audrey, Jack and Jen in. They're all dying to see you, especially Audrey."

Joey smiled. "I'll bet."

Pacey stood, then bent over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Jo," he whispered against her soft skin.

"I love you too, Pace," she yawned.

  

When Pacey returned to the waiting room, Audrey literally attacked him. She started firing off questions left and right. Finally he had to cover her mouth to get a word in edgewise. "Instead of driving me crazy with questions, Audrey, why don't you just go see her?"

It was Audrey's turn to light up. "Really? I can?"

"Uh, yeah… I told her I'd send you guys in to see her."

She grabbed hold of Jack and Jen and tugged them to their feet. "Come on! Let's go!" Audrey took off down that same hall at a speed that would be illegal behind the wheel of an automobile.

"Just don't…" Pacey started but then realized she was too far away to hear and turned to the three sane ones left. "Can you make sure Joey doesn't get too riled up? She's still really tired and groggy."

Grams patted his arm. "Don't worry; we won't stay too long."

As they walked away, Pacey turned to his friends. "You guys want to come with me and meet my daughter?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

On the way to the NICU, Pacey and Mark chattered about kids. Mark was offering fathering advice and Pacey was expressing his apprehension of becoming a parent. Secretly he was hoping he didn't turn into his own father but he refused to announce that to the world.

Halfway there they realized Chet hadn't said a word since they left the waiting room. "Hey, man," Mark said punching his shoulder, "You okay? You haven't spoken in three minutes. Should we check _you_ into the hospital?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just thinking…"

The guys laughed. "Okay Buddy," Mark replied, "Just don't strain yourself." They laughed again and got a huge shush from a passing orderly.

"Hey Pacey… I was wondering…" Chet began.

"What's up?"

"How old is Audrey?"

"Uh, I think Joey said she's turning nineteen sometime next month. Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

Pacey and Mark looked at each other then looked back to Chet before breaking into identically wide grins. Mark spoke first. "You like her don't you?"

"No… I was just curious, that's all."

"I don't think so," Mark replied, "I saw how you were looking at her back there."

"I can't believe it!" Pacey joked, "Our very own Mr. Uncommittable _likes_ a woman!"

"Yeah, so… that doesn't mean I'm obligated to commit." Chet answered lamely. "She probably doesn't even know who I am."

Pacey sobered up. "Trust me, not much gets past Audrey. You should go for it."

Chet promised to think on it as they rounded the corner and saw Bessie looking into a large glass window. She looked up as Pacey and his friends approached.

"Hey Pacey!" she greeted smiling brightly.

"Hey yourself. They wouldn't let you in?"

"No, they can't without permission from the parents."

"Okay, well we can all go in now."

"No, you go in alone. That first meeting is so much better without friends and family there to cramp it," Mark told him with Bessie and Chet nodding in agreement.

"Uh okay…" he waved to a nurse who came out and asked if she could help him. "Yes, I'm Pacey Witter and I'd like to see my daughter, Hailey."

The nurse smiled. "Sure." She checked the ID bracelet given to him just before he had gone in to see Joey and then led him to his baby.

Pacey was very nervous as he approached the little incubator where his daughter was resting. He was instructed to wash his hands in order to protect little Hailey from germs. He sat on the stool near his daughter and watched the nurse open a little round window on the side of the incubator.

"I'll leave you two alone; if you want just reach in and touch her." Pacey nodded and the nurse walked away.

He looked into the little plastic box at his tiny, helpless human being – his daughter. She was littler than what he had expected – only thirteen inches long and four pounds, seven ounces. She lay on her back with the ventilator tubes sticking out of her mouth. Even though her eyes were closed, he could see Joey in her tiny face.

Pacey slowly extended his hand and laid it beside her. He hesitated only for a second before gently caressing her head. He ran his finger along her arm, amazed that they were about the same size. Even though she was asleep, Hailey gripped his finger when he reached her hand and Pacey grinned. "Hey there Sweetie, I'm your Dad. I'm so glad to finally meet you. I love you, Baby and your Mom does too. She can't wait to see you." Pacey couldn't remove his eyes from the little angel before him. He continued to speak softly to Hailey about her aunts and uncles and the life before her. He promised to love her no matter what and always appreciate and be proud of her.

Soon, the nurse returned and told him time was up. Hailey needed to be fed so she needed to administer the IV and check her vital signs. Pacey nodded. He withdrew his hand long enough to kiss it, then place it back on his daughter. "I love you, Sweetie. Be good for the nurses."

With a sigh, Pacey stood and headed for the door. He looked back once and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here," he whispered before rejoining his friends in the hall.

TBC

A/N: I know, a bunch of sappy father/daughter time, but it shows how committed Pacey is to Hailey which is a good thing right? Thanks for reading and leave that feedback!!

Coming Up: Joey and Hailey meet for the first time.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters. They belong to Kevin Williamson and those other geniuses in Hollywood.

Chapter 15

The next day Joey was more that ready to meet her daughter. She had heard how adorable Hailey was and even how Pacey thought she looked just like her but it wasn't the same. Bessie offered to take some pictures but Joey refused to see them. She wanted the first time she saw the little girl to also be their first meeting.

When Pacey walked into the room at 8am, Joey was already sitting up in bed. "Where's Dr. Bates?" she demanded.

Pacey chuckled. "It's nice to see you're feeling better."

"Save it, Pacey," she spat, some of the post-partum hormones showing. "The nurse told me her shift started at 7 and here it is 8 and I still haven't talked to her."

"Joey, sweetheart," Pacey sat on the edge of the bed and held her hands, "I'm going to say this with the best of intentions and as much love and kindness as possible: chill out! You know Dr. Bates has a lot of patients. She will be here; don't worry."

"I'm sorry, Pace. I guess I'm just a little frustrated. I mean, I carried a baby for almost nine months. I suffered through the backaches and the sore feet and the raging hormones and what do I have to show for it? Nothing. Hailey was born almost a day ago and I'm still stuck in this room without her. Even your new construction buddies have seen her."

Pacey leaned over and hugged her. "I know, Jo, but you're going to see her today, I'm sure of it."

Joey returned the hug. "I hope you're right."

The words had no more than escaped her mouth when there was a tap on the door and it opened revealing Dr. Bates.

Pacey turned and greeted the doctor. "Thank God you're here. I think Joey, here, was about to spontaneously combust."

Joey rolled her eyes as Dr. Bates came to her bedside. "Just ignore him. One day in and I think fatherhood has already gone to his head."

Pacey shot her a sarcastic grin which she sent right back, making Dr. Bates smile. "I see you are feeling much better than you did yesterday."

"So does that mean I can go see Hailey?"

"It looks that way." She saw the excitement leap into Joey's eyes. "I'm on my way to check on her after I'm through here and depending on how she did through the night, you might be able to hold her and try breast-feeding."

Joey frowned. "Already? I mean, are you sure she's ready for that?"

Dr. Bates patted her hand, "Of course. You could have started yesterday except she was on the ventilator. If baby Hailey can breathe on her own and is stable, I see nothing wrong with it." She wrote a few notes on her clipboard and turned to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go check on her and let you know what's going on and hopefully within the hour, you'll be sitting with your baby in your arms." Dr. Bates offered one more of her trademark bright smiles and left.

"There, you see, everything is fine. It's better than fine; it's perfect." He turned to face Joey and saw an apprehensive look on her face. "What?"

"Pace, what if I can't?"

Pacey frowned, not sure what she was talking about. "Huh?"

Joey gestured to her chest. "What if I can't feed her? When Bessie had Alexander she tried and she couldn't. What if I can't either?"

"Uh, I don't think I'm the right person to talk to about this…"

Joey continued as if Pacey hadn't spoken. "I read in so many magazines and books that breast feeding is good for the mother and child and what if I ruin that?"

Pacey smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's just the hormones," he thought to himself, "She'll be normal again soon – I hope." On the outside, he once again put his arms around Joey and squeezed. "Jo, everything will be fine. I don't think it will damage either of you if you can't. Just stop worrying; think about how great it's going to be to see and hopefully hold our daughter."

Joey nodded and relaxed in Pacey's arms. That's how Bessie found them five minutes later when she walked in. "Hey guys; what's going on?"

"Nothing," Pacey said straightening up and making himself comfortable on the edge of the bed. "We're just hanging out until Dr. Bates comes back and let's us know what's going on. Then we're going to go see Hailey."

Bessie broke into a smile and hugged her sister. "That's great!"

"Yeah, hey I was wondering, since you're here will you help me get cleaned up. I feel like I haven't showered in a week."

Bessie smiled. "Sure." She proceeded to help Joey into the adjoining bathroom, leaving Pacey alone.

There was a shower in the bathroom but because of her stitches, Joey wasn't allowed to use it for another day. Instead she made do with the sink and a wash cloth. At her first glance into the mirror Joey cringed. "Not only do I look like I haven't showered but it looks like I haven't slept in days."

Bessie rested her chin on Joey's shoulder. "I think you look perfect for a new mom." Then she laughed as she grabbed a hairbrush and a wash cloth for Joey. "Remember what I looked like sitting on Dawson's couch giving birth?"

Joey laughed. "You sure didn't look like a million bucks that's for sure." She was quiet for a minute as she scrubbed her face and neck enjoying the tingly clean feeling as Bessie ran the brush through her tangled hair, carefully working out the snarls as she came to them. "Hey Bess?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking, what if I can't feed her? I talked to Pacey earlier but he's a guy so he wasn't much of a help."

Bessie paused in her task. "Joey," she made eye contact with her in the mirror, "if you can't breast feed Hailey then you will feed her the formula we bought."

"But…"

Bessie cut her off "But nothing. I know I made a big fuss when I couldn't feed Alexander but the most important thing is you're spending time with her and holding her. If you're doing that, it doesn't matter where the food is coming from." She continued to brush Joey's hair which was starting to shine. "But to tell you the truth, I don't know how often you'll be allowed to feed her."

Joey frowned as she applied lotion to her skin. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that little girl already has Pacey wrapped around her finger and you're going to have a hard time prying her away from him."

Joey smiled. "He's going to be a great dad isn't he?"

"Yep and you're going to be a great mom. Mom would be so proud." The sisters shared a bittersweet smile before getting back to work.

Five minutes later Joey stepped out of the bathroom and smiled as Pacey admired the change in her appearance. Her chestnut hair fell freely onto her shoulders and framed her face, complimenting the glowing skin. Some concealer brought color into her cheeks and the subtle touch of eye and lip makeup completed the picture.

Bessie came out behind her and stepped to the side, admiring her handiwork. "It's amazing what a little bit of water and makeup can do isn't it?"

"Yeah," Pacey answered, his eyes never leaving Joey.

After a minute the moment turned awkward and Joey looked away. "Take a picture, it will last longer Pace."

"Sorry," he said looking away as well. The awkwardness would have become overwhelming if there hadn't been a knock on the door.

It was Dr. Bates. "Great news!" she grinned, "Your daughter is doing fine. She's coming off the ventilator as we speak. As soon as you're ready you can go see her. The nurses will help you hold and feed her."

Joey brightened. "Thanks!"

"There is one condition…"

Joey tensed, not wanting to know. She watched Dr. Bates reach outside the door and wheel in a wheelchair. Joey grimaced, "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Bessie, Pacey and the doctor answered together.

Joey sighed but sat. "Well I see you two have everything under control here," Dr. Bates observed, "so I'm going to finish my rounds. I'll check back in later." Without another word she disappeared.

  

A few minutes later Joey was sitting in a rocking chair in the back of the nursery waiting for a nurse to bring Hailey to her. Pacey and Bessie were on either side of here in chairs of their own. They were all lost in their own thoughts until the nurse appeared with the small bundle.

Baby Hailey settled comfortably in her mother's arms and looked up with her big brown doe eyes in wonder at the three people staring right back at her. Then she yawned and looked away making her parents and aunt laugh.

"See Jo; I told you she had your eyes and your mouth. I wonder if that means she inherited the Potter sarcasm." For that remark, Pacey received the Potter glare.

Joey continued with the traditional She's-got-your… game. "Well she may have my face but that is definitely your nose."

The nurse interrupted. "Miss Potter, if you're ready, I'll show you how to feed her."

Joey sighed, "Okay." Under the older woman's direction Joey handed Hailey over to Pacey while she slipped one arm out of the hospital gown and pulled it down, revealing her breast. Pacey carefully handed Hailey back to Joey and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

The nurse reached over and stroked the cheek closest to Joey's chest. Hailey immediately turned her head and began a sucking motion. "This is called the rooting reflex. It will go away in three or four months." She helped Joey guide Hailey's head and soon, to Joey's excitement, she was contently suckling. "She won't take very much since it's her first feeding but you'll want to alternate each time you feed her." Joey nodded.

After a few minutes Hailey stopped and fell asleep in Joey's arms. The nurse took her back to her incubator to sleep for a few hours but returned to see if Joey had any questions, which she did. "I was just wondering how much longer she'll have to be in the incubator."

"She has improved a lot in the last day and can maintain her body temperature better than when she was born so I'd say that she can come out anytime. We just have to prepare a bed for her with the other babies in the nursery."

"So she's leaving Intensive Care?" Bessie asked.

"Yes. Dr. Bates approved it when she was here earlier."

"Thanks for everything," Joey smiled. The nurse nodded and walked away.

"See Joey," Bessie told her sister, "We both told you there was nothing to worry about and everything turned out fine. Hailey's getting stronger and soon you're both going to be home."

"Yeah," Joey replied absentmindedly, "she's beautiful isn't she?"

Pacey leaned down, "Yup, she sure is. She takes after her mom there."

Joey smiled and leaned in for a kiss to which Pacey graciously obliged.

"Okay guys, you seriously need to wait until you're alone. I'm your sister and I don't want to see this."

"Get over it Bess; I've dealt with much worse from you during your high school years."

"Ha ha Jo but we both know –"

Pacey cut off the sisterly rant. "Okay, we'll save this conversation for when I'm not in the room and Joey is home. For now let's just get you back to your room. Audrey and maybe Jack and Jen will be in in a few hours and you look like you need a nap."

Joey yawned and nodded. She allowed Pacey to help her back to the wheelchair and willing returned to her room, happy and relieved that her first meeting with Hailey was perfect.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I still don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters (except the ones I create of course).

Chapter 16

When Bessie, Pacey and Joey returned to Joey's room they were surprised to see a fair-haired man waiting there. He turned at the sound of footsteps in the doorway and smiled when he saw it was who he was waiting for.

"Dawson?" Joey questioned from her wheelchair. They hadn't told her they had called him. "What are you doing here?"

"Jack and your roommate called me yesterday and told me what happened. I got on a plane and got here as fast as I could. The plane came in last night but it was past visiting hours."

Joey immediately rose from her seat and hugged her friend. "You didn't need to come."

"And miss the birth of my best friend's baby? No way." He hugged her back. "So how are you? How's the baby?"

Joey pulled away. "We're both fine. I should be out of here tomorrow or Saturday at the latest but Hailey's going to have to stay at least a week."

"Hailey? That's her name?"

"Yep," Joey nodded, "Hailey Elizabeth Witter."

"Hey Pacey, do you get the distinct impression that no one knows we're in the room?" Bessie asked loudly.

"So that wasn't just me?"

That brought the two friends out of their trance. "Hey, sorry Bessie," Dawson hugged her, "It's great to see you." Then he straightened and offered his hand to Pacey. "Pacey, congratulations."

Pacey shook his hand cordially. "Dawson, thanks." The two acted more like coworkers than friends. They had come a long way since the end of junior year but they both knew they would never have the same relationship they'd had before.

Joey sensed the looming tension and broke it before things could get worse. "So Dawson, how are things in LA?"

Dawson turned back, "Great, well interesting. USC is keeping me busy and I love it but at the same time, it's just not Capeside and none of my friends are there."

"Well yeah but you're making new friends and having all of these amazing experiences that most of us can only dream about. You're lucky."

"Geez Joey," Bessie cut in, "By the sound of it, you're not happy with your own life."

Joey raised her eyebrows. "Yeah right Bess," she reached for Pacey's hand and squeezed, "I absolutely love my life and everything and everyone in it. I wouldn't trade any of it for anything." Pacey smiled widely at that.

For the next few hours the four lounged in Joey's room catching up and just spending time together. Eventually Audrey showed up, bringing all of her energy into the room. She and Dawson immediately hit it off and it was obvious they would be great friends.

Joey settled on Pacey's lap in the wheelchair, content with his arms around her still slightly swollen stomach, chattering with her friends. "This is the life," she thought, "I'm so lucky."

TBC

Coming up: Hailey comes home.

A/N: There should be one more update this week as long as I keep getting such great reviews. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave feedback. It is very encouraging especially when I get a case of writer's block. I'm getting close to the end but there are still three or four, maybe more, chapters left. We'll see what happens.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: _Dawson's Creek_ and its characters belong to Kevin Williamson, Paul Stupin and the rest of the Hollywood writers, not me.

Chapter 17

Life for Joey was finally becoming routine again. She was home from the hospital and learning how to balance her classes and daily visits to the hospital. It had been hard to come home almost a week ago without Hailey but Joey knew she would have her daughter as soon as she was strong enough.

For now her focus was school. She had a great deal of work to make up and her professors were being sympathetic but Joey hated being behind and risking her scholarship. Every waking minute not spent at the hospital with Hailey was spent studying. Joey knew her life would turn upside down again when Hailey came home and she was trying feverishly to stabilize her schoolwork before that happened.

Finally, nearly two weeks after her entrance into the world, Hailey reached the five and a half pound milestone required for her release. Pacey had managed to buy a used car with Grams as a cosigner and his first week's pay for the occasion.

When the proud parents arrived home and opened the door, they were greeted by a mass of friends and family. It seemed like people were coming out of the woodwork to welcome baby Hailey home. From Capeside there was Bessie and Bodie with Alexander and Mitch and Gail with Lily. Doug was the only one of the Witter clan to come. It wasn't very surprising that everyone else was too busy to welcome the newest addition to their family. Audrey and Christy, her new roommate, were there as well as Chet and Mark. Naturally, the ones who orchestrated the whole affair – Grams, Jack, Jen and Dawson – were there as well. The only one missing was Andie who sent her congratulations and promised to visit soon but was too busy at Harvard to come on such short notice.

As with most parties, the group eventually split into two groups – the men and the women. The guys all gathered in the kitchen to help Bodie and Mitch with the food preparation while the women relaxed in the living room to chat and keep an eye on the children.

At first, Joey sat with Hailey protectively in her arms but as time went by and her arms grew tired, she passed her off to Bessie. Everyone took turns holding her and Lily, each fussing over them when it was her turn.

"So Joey," Gail started a few minutes into the conversation, "how does it feel to be a mother now that Hailey is here with you?"

Joey smiled. "Great but a little overwhelming. How did you ever manage when Lily came home?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, it wasn't any easier the second time around; you have this helpless child who needs you for everything anytime of the day or night. It can be scary at first but soon you will settle into a routine and motherhood will be…" Gail paused to find the right words, "very rewarding."

"Joey I'm going to miss you so much! How will I survive without seeing you everyday?" Audrey sobbed dramatically.

"Audrey, you know I'm only living a few miles away and I'll still be on campus everyday, right? It's not like I'm moving to Arizona or something."

"I know but I'll miss seeing you the moment I wake up. How are we ever going to have any girl time with me there and you here?"

"We'll make time."

"That is if she's not too busy with –" Christy casually jumped in only to be cut off by a huge glare from Audrey.

Everyone visibly leaned forward, "With who?" Jen asked.

With one eye cautiously on Audrey, Christy continued, "With that Chet guy."

"Wait, Chet as in Pacey's friend in the other room Chet?" Joey asked in disbelief. Audrey nodded. "What did I miss? When did this happen?"

Audrey sighed, "A few days after Hailey was born."

"Okay, you better start talking my friend," Jen told her.

Now that her secret was completely out, Audrey revealed the details of her first date with her newest guy. At the same time, Chet was getting grilled by Mark and Pacey with the help of the other guys in the kitchen over the same exact thing.

  

When the party was first brought to their attention, Bodie, with Mitch's help, offered to cook a late lunch or early dinner. They decided on lasagna because it was easy to prepare but still big enough to feed everyone. Because of this, there wasn't much to be done and the guys were just standing around talking.

At first, there was the fathering advice for which almost everyone had something to offer. Then it slowly switched over to jobs and Pacey proudly announced that working in construction was the best career move he had made in a while, though he still missed Danny and the cooking. From here, the conversation switched to women and relationships because every man knew he only had a job to buy things for that woman in his life. This is where Chet was put on the spot.

"Leave it to you, Mark, to bring up the one subject no one cares about or wants to hear," Chet said after Mark asked him if he had made a move with Audrey.

"Hey, I want to hear about this," Mitch piped up good-naturedly, the other guys voicing their same opinions.

Chet sighed then launched into the abridged version of how he called Audrey, the number supplied unknowingly by Joey through Pacey, and asked her to dinner. He ended vaguely without many details from the date, by saying they were definitely going somewhere. There was no way he was going to admit that he was too nervous to kiss her goodnight when he walked her to her door and she was the one who planted one on him. Doing that would have been a recipe for endless taunting for a very long time.

Apparently his description sufficed because the guys clapped him on the back. "Just think, in a few years, you might be just like Pacey," Doug told him, his tone holding nothing but pride for his little brother. Pacey smiled at Doug, a smile that thanked him for not only being there but also for supporting him when the rest of his family dismissed him.

In an hour or so the groups came together in the dining room for dinner. The conversation was light and cheery and everyone had something good to say about the lasagna and homemade garlic bread. Pacey and Joey looked around the table at their friends and family, happy that they had so many people on their side to lean on. As they looked from person to person, they couldn't help but grin at the newest couple at the table; Audrey and Chet, who were currently sharing a private laugh. They were a cute couple and just watching them made Joey and Pacey realize how much they reminded them of themselves last year. Then they looked to their daughter who was sleeping peacefully in her bassinette not far from the table. Pacey placed his hand on top of Joey's and rubbed it gently. They once again counted their blessings before digging in.

After the dishes were in the dishwasher, the group began to disperse. Chet offered to drive Audrey and Christy home so they were the first to go. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Chet and Audrey would not be calling it a night anytime soon.

Mark left next, saying he had to get home to his family. "Good luck tonight guys," he told Pacey and Joey on his way to the door. "We'll have to make plans to get together soon so you can meet my family."

"Okay Buddy," Pacey said, "I'll see you Monday at work." Then Mark was gone.

Now only family was left and they spent an hour or so reminiscing over where they had been nine months ago. Pacey was still pretty curious about how everything had played out last June and expressed that interest.

"Are you sure you want to talk about this Pacey?" Doug asked.

""Dougie, I'm over it. It's not going to mean anything to me because all that matters is that I'm here now."

Silently reassured, Joey began. "Well, I found out when you were on that camping trip with Doug." Pacey nodded thoughtfully. "Then the night before Dawson left for LA I told him, Jack and Jen and boy did I have a hard time convincing them it was better for everyone if they did it my way."

"Yeah, we're still sorry about that Pacey," Jen said.

Then Jack added, "You know how stubborn Joey gets when her mind is made up."

"Nah, if you ask me, stubborn is just another word for strong."

Joey smiled bashfully but then stared straight into Pacey's eyes, searching for an answer to her question. "Do you think I made the right decision Pace?"

"I think you made the decision that was right for the situation. Even though I still don't agree and I would like to think I would have been there and put you and Hailey before my own problems, I am glad you gave me the summer to get my act together before allowing me the privilege of becoming a father."

No one really knew how to reply to that so they left the night on that note and began to get ready to leave. Bessie and Bodie and Mitch and Gail each paid for a motel room for the night because there was no way Grams' house could hold that many people. They carefully bundled up their sleeping children, said goodnight and good luck and left.

Doug was the only one returning to Capeside that night. His shift began at 8am the next morning so he needed to get back. Before he left he kissed his little sleeping niece before hugging both of her parents. "I'm so happy for both of you guys. You deserve this blessing and I'm proud of you. Pacey, I know Mom and Dad didn't come for this but they're still proud of you too. With everything that has happened in our family, they just have a hard time expressing that. Give them some time, they'll come around."

Pacey hugged his brother one more time. "Thanks Doug, that means a lot coming from you. I love you Bro."

"I love you too. Try to get some sleep tonight."

Joey and Pacey both laughed and said their farewells one more time before Doug left.

TBC

A/N: Expect a lot more fluff for the next chapter but this story is starting to wrap itself up. I think within a few chapters it will be over – sorry for those of you who like longer stories… but this is already the longest story I have ever written. I also wanted to address my choice of conversation at the end of this chapter. I know some of you probably didn't like that but I felt it was something that needed to be addressed and also it shows how much Pacey has grown since he first found out Joey was pregnant. Just let me know honestly what you thought and I'll work on the next chapter as fast as I can and get it posted for you guys. As always, thanks for the great reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Still don't own them. Still wish I did.

Chapter 18

After Doug left, Pacey and Joey only spent a few more minutes downstairs before saying goodnight and taking their daughter upstairs.

Together they put the sleeping baby in her crib, careful not to disturb her. They stood side by side over her crib gazing down at the sweet sleeping child before quietly returning to their room, changing and silently climbing into bed to await that first cry from the other room. Both were too tired from the long and extremely eventful day to even say goodnight to each other.

  

Around midnight Joey awoke and realized Pacey's side of the bed was empty. She yawned, got out of bed and stretched before creeping to the doorway of the nursery where she saw a faint glow of light. What Joey found was a sight that made her smile.

Pacey was sitting in the rocking chair holding Hailey. He was in the middle of talking about boys and how she wasn't going to be dating until she was at least twenty-one but much later if he had anything to do about it. The baby's eyes were clearly fixated on her father's face and she let out a cross between a coo and a cry every once in a while as if she was trying to keep up her end of the conversation.

"You know, if you keep her up this late, she's going to get used to it and we will never get any sleep."

Pacey looked up. "Hey, I got up to use the bathroom and when I looked in on her, she was awake."

"She was probably getting a little hungry and trying to decide when to start crying."

"Yeah," Pacey said gazing down into that precious face.

Joey came to stand behind him. She placed her hands on her shoulders. "She's going to break a lot of hearts later in her life."

"Just like her mom," Pacey said breaking into a grin. Joey slapped him. "Hey! Careful! I'm holding some precious, fragile material here."

"Oh no! You are not going to use our daughter as a shield." Pacey pulled Joey down and kissed her soundly on the lips. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" she asked when they pulled apart.

"You called her our daughter."

"Well, that's what she is, right?"

"Yeah, but I just love the sound of it. I could listen to it for the rest of my life and never get tired of it, you know?"

"That's the plan right?" At that moment, Hailey finally made up her mind to start crying. "I'd better feed her."

Pacey stood up and gave Joey the chair before handing the crying infant to her. Once she was settled and contently feeding, Pacey spoke. "We're going to have to teach her how not to interrupt her parents when they're in the middle of something."

"Why _were_ we in the middle of something? Pacey gave her a look. "I know, I know, I just couldn't resist."

"But we are going to complete our family aren't we?"

"Yes, but not right away. I don't want to rush things. We have only been back together for a few months, a few weeks officially and we both know how we feel about each other so there's no point in going through all that trouble so everyone else knows. There is so much going on right now between college and Hailey and not to mention that we are just a little low on money. Getting married would only complicate things and give us more hurdles to jump."

"So, we'll wait a few months and see what's going on. There's no rush. We have all that's important in this room right now. We'll save the technicalities for later on down the road."

Joey nodded in agreement. Hailey was finishing up so Joey quickly burped her and got her settled before Pacey placed her back into her crib. "See you in a few hours, Sweetie," he murmured as Joey joined him.

She straightened the blanket that was wrapped around the infant. "Love you Baby," she whispered and shut off the light.

Together they walked back to bed and assumed their usual position: Joey curled into Pacey's chest with his arms holding them together.

Pacey placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "I love you, Jo, and our daughter. Thanks for making me a dad."

Joey's voice came from his chest, groggy as she slowly drifted off, "I love you too, Pace. Thanks for making me a mom."

TBC

A/N: There are only one or maybe two chapters left. That is completely up to you guys. I will elaborate more in the next chapter next week. I hope you liked the family fluff! Reviews please!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters.

A/N: Originally I was going to end the story with chapter 18 because I was developing a very bad case of writer's block. I've never written a story as large or as detailed as this one and I was starting to run out of ideas but for the first time I watched the commentary on the series finale and I was inspired to write this chapter. In fact, as soon as I switched off the TV, I grabbed a piece of paper and this was the result. It seemed like Dawson and Joey needed to reflect on everything that had happened since he walked outside and saw Joey and Pacey arguing about the future of their relationship so that's precisely what this chapter does. I gave it everything I could and I really hope you like it, even if you weren't a huge Dawson and Joey fan.

Chapter 19

Almost two weeks after first arriving in Boston, Dawson was returning to LA. It was a Monday afternoon and Joey was home because she had no classes. Dawson had spent most of the weekend in Capeside with his parents and Lily but now he was spending the whole day with Joey reminiscing and just savoring the hours because neither of them knew when they would have that opportunity again.

Twenty minutes before the cab was due to arrive, Dawson and Joey ran out of things to say. With his bags packed, Dawson stood awkwardly in the foyer facing Joey. There was so much to say but he had no idea how to say it.

Joey was the one who broke the silence. "So uh, Pacey and I were talking and we decided that we would really like you to be Hailey's godfather."

Dawson was taken back. "Wow, I would be honored." Then he frowned, "Pacey agreed to this?"

"Actually, it was his idea. Dawson, he doesn't hate you. We have all been through so much that it's impossible to not be connected. If we do anything with what happened last year, it should be learning from it, don't you think?"

Dawson smiled. "Life is just one big crazy ride, isn't it? It seems like the only thing you can do is trust your heart." He paused for a moment and then continued. "Two years ago, you broke my heart and I wished I could just die, but now, looking back I realize that getting hurt forced me to grow up and face it that life isn't always going to go according to my plan. I can't spend my life regretting the past; it's unchangeable. You're right; we can only learn from it and move on. I've come to realize in the past six months that this is it; we only have this life and if we live it right, it's more than enough. If I spend it pining away after you and hating Pacey for stealing you from me, then I'm going to miss out on a lot of great opportunities and I don't want that to happen. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm over you and I forgive Pacey."

Joey slowly nodded her head in understanding. "I know Dawson; sometimes it's so hard to know the right thing to do and it seems like every possible solution to a problem is the wrong one but the important thing it to try. Things will always work out for the best in the end. I mean, look at us. We have been to Hell and back so many times together and a few times alone and we're still here and we're still friends. That has to account for something."

They were interrupted by Hailey crying in the other room. Joey disappeared for a minute and then came back with her daughter in her arms. "Is she okay?" Dawson asked.

"Yeah, she's just being a little fussy I think, and probably a little upset that her Uncle Dawson is leaving." She handed the baby over to her friend.

Dawson looked down at the little girl in his arms and couldn't help but smile. "Just think, next time I see her, she will probably be sitting up and getting ready to crawl."

"It won't be that long until you come back for a visit."

"I don't know. When it was us, I thought we couldn't grow up any slower but now watching Lily, it made me realize that time does fly especially when you're this little. In a little over four months, Lily's going to be a year old; my mom said that she's close to standing and already crawling all over the house. Last time I saw her, she could do as much as Hailey does now. I just hope I don't miss everything."

"Don't worry," Joey reassured him, "You will be here for all the important stuff – birthdays, Christmases, Thanksgivings – and if you're still not here for something, I'll record it for you."

"I'll hold you to that." A horn sounded outside. Dawson looked out and saw the yellow taxicab waiting at the end of the walk. "Looks like it's time for me to go." He kissed Hailey's forehead. "Now don't give your parents too much of a hard time, Missy," he told her before handing her off to Joey.

"I'll call you and let you know what's going on for her christening," Joey said, hugging her friend carefully so not to squish her daughter. "Thanks so much for being here – it means more to me than you'll ever know."

"No problem, it was my pleasure." Dawson kissed Hailey one more time before grabbing his bags.

Joey held the door open as he walked to the car. "Hey Dawson," he turned back, "Don't forget how to smile."

He couldn't help but smile back at her. "See ya, Joey."

"See ya, Dawson." She stood on the doorstep and watched as her friend climbed into the taxi. She waved as the car pulled away from the curb and disappeared around the corner.

A/N: There you have it. I did mention one last chapter after this and I will write it if enough people want it. I was thinking about doing an epilogue so sum up everything that was left open. Let me know if you want the epilogue or if you think I tied everything up well enough here. Also, if I write it, I will make sure to thank everyone who left me praise, encouragement and especially ways to make the story better. Let me know with a review and I'll write it and get it posted later this week.


	20. Epilogue

Disclaimer: For the final time, I lay no claim on _Dawson's Creek_ or any of its characters. I've just been using them for the past three months for the sole purpose of our entertainment.

A/N: Just a quick note; I'm going to do this chapter in sections; a different one for each person or group of people. Enjoy!

Epilogue

- Audrey and Chet lasted six long wonderful months as a couple before calling it quits. In the end, they realized their relationship was built mostly on a physical attraction and when it really came down to it, they didn't have enough in common to stay together. Both moved on after a brief period of heartache and were in new relationships with people with whom they were very much in love.

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- Andie made good on her promise to visit and having her there really brightened the house and the lives of those there. She, like everyone else, immediately fell in love with Hailey and promised to take her on shopping sprees and to the salon as soon as she was old enough. By then she planned on being a doctor so she would have plenty of money to splurge on such outings.

Also, she was persuaded to spend more time with everyone. They knew she would turn into a workaholic first at Harvard and then as a doctor if they let her. Between Jack, Jen, Pacey and Joey, they all vowed to take her out once or twice a week, kicking and screaming if need be, to keep her from growing old too fast and most importantly, to keep her sane.

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- Sheriff and Mrs. Witter eventually managed to make time to come and meet their granddaughter. They had no choice but to admit that their son had finally done something right in his life and were very proud of him. Pacey knew it would only be a matter of time until things returned to normal and he would once again be thrust into his role of black sheep but he promised Joey their daughter would know his parents because they were the only ones she would ever know.

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- Dawson flew back home a month or so later for Hailey's christening but returned to LA to finish college at USC. He called every Sunday afternoon meticulously to check up on everyone and each time insisted on talking to his goddaughter, waiting for the moment he could make out "Dawson" in her baby babble.

After graduation he stayed in LA where he soon became a director. Within a few years, he had two award-winning films, one of which was dedicated to one A.I. Brooks. He was currently working on a film about four friends growing up together in a little creek-side town, learning how to love and be loved. Who knows where that idea came from.

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-It turned out that Pacey had a promising career in construction. Within a month, he received his first promotion and raise. His bosses were constantly praising his fine work; he took it humbly and said it was all thanks to _True Love_ and the work he did on her. He eventually became a foreman in the company and was banking up his money until he could afford to start his own company.

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- After much thought and consideration, Jack decided to not to join the Sigma Eps house. He had a great time at the parties and loved meeting so many new people but he decided that since college was so expensive, he should spend more time studying than getting drunk. Still, he managed to meet a guy named Eric who was thinking about leaving the fraternity. Jack helped him make that decision as well as figure out his conflicting feelings about his sexuality. When it finally came out that he was gay, the two naturally began dating. No one had ever seen Jack happier.

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- After Charlie's deception, Jen had a hard time venturing back out into the sometimes not-so-wonderful world of dating. She went out on a few dates here and there but didn't find anyone really worth her time until senior year. Paul seemed like the perfect boyfriend until he walked out a few weeks before graduation. Jen said she was swearing off men for the rest of her life and would be spending that time in a nunnery practicing self-control and abstinence to make up for her earlier indiscretions. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before she met someone new to fall head-over-heels in love with.

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- Mark finally did bring his family by to meet the huge crazy group of friends he had acquired. It only took a few hours for his wife, Cindy, to be accepted into the group of women. Even though she was five or six years older, she fit right in. Whenever the guys found it necessary to go out drinking or stay in and watch a game, she was always ready for a girls' night.

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- Grams was still the proud hostess of a weekly Sunday dinner. The group, which had started with only four or five people, had blossomed into a mass of nearly twenty people. She often joked that she needed a convention center to house and feed them all but the truth was she couldn't be more proud of her huge family and glad that her "grandchildren" had so many loving friends to depend on.

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- Pacey, Joey and baby Hailey. In August before Hailey turned a year old, Joey and Pacey returned to Capeside to get married. It was a beautiful ceremony that made the bride and groom think of Mitch and Gail's wedding and where they had gotten their first real start. Dawson and Jack shared the duties of best man and Bessie was Joey's maid of honor. Jen, Audrey and Andie served as the bride's maids. They all agreed that it was about time the couple legalized things and the ceremony was perfect. The only thing missing was the honeymoon but Pacey promised Joey one to remember as soon as he could buy her a sailboat and take her back to the Florida Keys.

Even though Grams assured them it was no imposition, Joey insisted on moving into a new apartment after they returned to Boston. She said she couldn't live in someone else's house as a married woman. Life wasn't perfect for the couple and there were threats on Pacey's life when Joey got really angry but things always worked out.

Hailey soon grew into the mirror image of her mother. As Pacey suspected, she developed the Potter sarcasm as soon as she could talk but she had her moments when she was as sweet as her daddy. She was definitely the perfect combination of her parents' best traits and had Pacey wrapped around her little finger. He would do anything to see her smile or hear her laugh.

After Joey graduated from college, the family moved back to Capeside. Pacey and Joey both wanted Hailey to experience first hand the magic of the small town they grew up and fell in love in. At first, it was hard to hold down their jobs in such a small town but they adjusted quickly and never regretted the move back.

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Life for this extended family was nowhere near perfect. They fought and they became estranged at times but things usually worked out for the best. They were there for each other, supplying encouragement and support whenever it was needed. They all helped to make sure each member reached his or her full potential. When times turned difficult, each knew he or she could count on the rest of the family to make things seem less complicated because after all, it's the hard times, not the easy ones that tell us the most about those around us. They created the best imperfect life possible in which to raise their children and grow old together.

A/N: I would just like to convey one last set of thanks to all of you out there in fanfiction land who took the time to read _and_ review my story this summer. You made up for one of the major highlights of my summer and I thank you for that. So, without further adieu, thanks to: **mistylee**, **Elisabeth**, **i8jaffas**, **missy3252**, **Juzzy88**, **honestlee21**, **Mel**, **Jill Cohen**, **PaceyW'sgirl**, **legraham419**, **Giulis**, **jesterlady**, **DAWSONCREEKFAN524**, **SkittishKitten**, **Amy** and **PrinJen24**. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your opinions on my story and love all of the encouragement and suggestions you gave me. I hope you come back and read any other stories I post in the future. Have a great rest of the summer!


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